From Ages Past
by SlytherinGirl92
Summary: [THIS STORY IS IN THE PROCESS OF A MAJOR REWRITE. SOME CHAPTERS WILL REMAIN UNTOUCHED, WHILE OTHERS STAY THE SAME. STAY TUNED!] The Trio returns to Hogwarts for their final year. Post DH, not epilogue compliant. Things are changing. Fairytales come alive, ghosts awaken, and secrets are revealed. Draco and Hermione are becoming closer. Harry has a big secret. Ships: DM/HR & HP/BZ
1. Rebuilding the Castle

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

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><p>Chapter 1: Rebuilding the Castle<p>

Everything they had once known was now in shambles: the towers, the grounds, the Quidditch Pitch. In the courtyards laid mounds of rubble. A vital part of their lives had been torn apart. This is where they cast their first charms, and brewed their first potions. It was home to the fondest of memories, where they made their finest friends. And in that darkest hour, when the students had been in danger, Hogwarts had been there to protect them from the evils that lay beyond her walls. For many, the castle had been their home when they clearly had no other. Now, Hogwarts was in distress, and it was the students' turn to aid the castle that had kept them safe for generations. The war was over, and it was time to rebuild and start anew.

Witches and Wizards from all corners of the globe arrived to help rebuild the very school which saved the entire Wizarding World. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the new Minister of Magic, wanted the school to be back in business as soon as possible. He had sent word out to other magic schools and Ministries all over the world, asking for their aid in this process. Among those first to arrive, were the students Beaubaxton and Madame Maxime, who came in their carriage. Even the students of Durmstrang made an appearance, despite their reputation with the Dark Arts. They were accompanied by none other than International Quidditch Star, Victor Krum. Students from both schools, who once competed against each other for the Triwizard Cup, now worked together, aiding where ever they were most needed.

The Weasleys were the first people to really begin the restoration. This ginger haired troupe was always ready to help those who needed it. Bill and even Fleur, despite her pregnancy, had arrived with Molly and Arthur on the very first day of the rebuilding. Charlie had brought a gaggle of his dragon keeper coworkers with him to help with any heavy lifting. Even George, who was still mourning the loss of his twin brother, showed up to help rebuild the very school in which he and Fred had caused so much trouble. It was his firm belief that Fred would want to see the castle restored to its former glory, so that some other pair of mischief makers could cause just as much trouble as they had in their youth. Percy was around when he could make it, as his primary job was helping rebuild the Ministry under the direction of Minister Shacklebolt. People surmised that he made the effort to drop by and lend a hand when he could, if only to spend time with his family. No one blamed him for it. Ginny, despite the obvious notion that she should be with Harry at any given moment, was helping Neville and Professor Sprout in the Greenhouses. And, finally, Ron was where he could always be found, with his two best friends, Harry and Hermione.

Many other students had returned as well. The place had been their home, after all. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were hard at work on the reconstruction of the Quidditch Pitch, under the fierce supervision of Madame Hooch. Luna Lovegood could be found in the kitchens, helping out the house elves sort through the now ruined kitchen. Various other Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws from the Trio's year had arrived almost immediately when the announcement of reconstruction had been made. Among these students were Hannah Abbott, Terry Boot, and Ernie MacMillan. Even Cho Chang, who had spent a few weeks in one of the wards at St. Mungo's for treatment of panic and anxiety attacks, was seen levitating a few damaged paintings through the halls. Only one lone Slytherin had made an appearance thus far, Blaise Zabini, who was helping Madame Pince repair the damage to the library. No one dared bother him, for they feared what Madame Pince might do to them should they interrupt.

If one was to walk through the damaged corridors of Hogwarts, it would seem as if the whole Wizarding World had come to its rescue.

The damage was almost unbearable for many of the students. Each and every House had suffered extensive damage, becoming mere shadows of their former selves. Hufflepuff looked as if a tornado had ripped through the place, leaving a large hole in the side of the Common Room. Ravenclaw's beautiful glass ceiling had been shattered, and the place seemed to have suffered what appeared to be fire damage. Gryffindor tower was the worst of what had been seen. The entire tower had been destroyed. All that was left was the portrait of the Fat Lady, and the floor and fireplace of the common room. Above it was the sky; the sleeping quarters were completely gone. No one had yet to venture down into the dungeons to assess the damage of the Slytherin dormitories. Everyone surmised that it had been left untouched, or the place had at least been cursed by Death Eaters. Despite the fact that the war was over, there was still fear in the hearts of the magical community. However, it could not be helped, them having lived in fear so long.

Now, Ron and Hermione stood in front of Professor McGonagall's desk in Dumbledore's office. Well, technically, it was no longer Dumbledore's office, since Professor McGonagall had been elected Headmistress, but it was hard call it anything but. It may have been a over a year since his demise, but the wound was still fresh in their hearts. After McGonagall had finished what appeared to be some paperwork on her desk, she looked up at the two of them, smiling gently. Under most circumstances, such a smile from her would mean that someone was in trouble. This time, however, it was most sincere. She folded her hands on the desk, saying,

"Now that mostly everyone has found a suitable task within the restoration project, I have a special job for each of you."

Ron and Hermione exchanged curious glances, wondering just what sort of tasks the new Headmistress would be assigning them. Before either of them could ask any questions, Professor McGonagall looked at Ron and began to speak,

"You, Mr. Weasley, will assist Hagrid in his inspection of the Forbidden Forest. We do not know how much damage Voldemort and the Death Eaters caused to the forest and its inhabitants. Scouting the outskirts will at least give us an idea of where we need to start. If Hagrid and yourself deem it necessary to proceed further, then do so. I trust that you will have no problem with this?"

Ron didn't look exactly happy about the task he had been given. Naturally, he was relieved that he would be working with Hagrid, but ever since he and Harry's run in with a nest of Acromantulas in their Second Year, Ron hadn't been too keen on wandering into the forest. McGonagall's gaze flickered to Hermione, and she tapped her fingers on the desk before saying,

"Ms. Granger, as you already know, all of the password enchantments on each of the Hogwarts Houses have been removed since the end of the battle. This is to speed up the rebuilding process, so we can get this school back up and running for next term. But, I digress. As you also may know, not a single student or member of faculty has ventured down into the dungeons to inspect the Slytherin dormitories. I would ...oh, what is the word.. 'owe you big time' if you could do this for me."

Hermione bit her lip, faltering for a moment, but then nodded, agreeing to her task. However, it seemed as if Ron had other ideas. He shook his head, saying,

"Professor, we don't even know what is down there. For all we know, the place could have been left untouched. I mean, would the Death Eaters damage their own house? I don't think so! Or, they very well could have cursed the place, or set up some kind of trap for us! Besides, why does Hermione have to go down there? Zabini's here, isn't he? Why not send him to inspect it? It's his House."

Ron's glare was met with and amused smirk from Professor McGonagall, who then shook her head. She thought that Ron's reaction was absolutely childish. No Wizard of his age should behave in such a fashion, especially someone who had seen so much of the terrible aspects of the war. Had he not matured, even through all that bloodshed? She sighed,

"That is a rather incredulous accusation, Mr. Weasley. Yes, it is true that we clearly have no idea of what awaits us in the dungeons, whether it be set with a trap, cursed, or just as damaged as the other dormitories. And, that is precisely why I am sending Ms. Granger to inspect it. She is the brightest witch of her age, and perfectly capable of handling this job on her own. As for Mr. Zabini, he is very busy the Library with Madame Pince. The place is trashed and a monstrous portion of the books have been ripped to shreds. A lot of these books are irreplaceable. Mr. Zabini, being the quiet sort, is suited for assisting Madame Pince, as he will not argue with what is to be done, unlike some people here. Ah, but since you are so damn worried about Ms. Granger's safety, I will allow you to accompany her to the dungeons, but no further. It is on your way to Hagrid's, and he does expect you to be on time, after all. Have I made myself perfectly clear, Mr. Weasley?"

She raised an eyebrow at Ron, whose brow furrowed as he nodded in compliance. He was clearly unhappy about the arrangement. After a moment, McGonagall asked, glancing at the door,

"Ah...where is Mr. Potter?"

Hermione blinked, realizing that Harry had told her to inform Professor McGonagall of his location. Hermione replied,

"Harry is at St. Mungo's, Professor. He had an appointment."

"Oh, yes, I remember him mentioning that to me the other day. What Psychiatric Healer is he seeing, Ms. Granger?"

"Healer Valchrom, Professor."

"Ah, yes, Melissa is very good. She's been around for quite some time, and is especially adept with cases like Potter's. With all he went through, it's not surprise that his mind suffered greatly. How has he been?"

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks here, causing Professor McGonagall to raise an eyebrow. Ron answered,

"Well, to be entirely truthful, Professor, we didn't even know he was seeing a Healer until a week ago, actually... But, as far as I can tell, his nightmares have become less frequent and he seems a bit more amicable, but he's still very...withdrawn. We've tried to talk to him about it, but he just... He doesn't want to say a single word about it to us. I don't understand why seeing a Psychiatric Healer would help, when he could just talk to us, his friends. We know him better-"

"The war was really difficult on him, you two should know that more than anyone else. Also, it may help him to talk to one who knows nothing about him personally, so he can be given an unbiased opinion of his situation. I know it is hard to believe that he didn't want to talk to the both of you about this, but keep in mind that there are some things better left alone. I do not tell many this, but Albus exhibited much of the same behavior after his duel with Grindelwald. He also went to see a Psychiatric Healer. Take that into consideration."

Hermione's eyes widened, and she nodded. It was hard believe and understand, but whatever Harry had to do to get back to normal was fine with her. She just wanted her best friend back. The tragedies of the war had wounded his mind greatly, and the fame he received from his victory against Voldemort had made him distant. Ron just stood there, blinking in surprise. The both of them wondered if Harry would ever go back to being the Harry they knew. It was all a mystery. After a moment, Professor McGonagall said,

"Now, the two of you best be off. If you see Potter before I do, please send him to my office. I'd like to discuss a few things with him."

The two of them nodded and left her office. They had much to do.

Hermione was now standing at the top of the spiral staircase which lead do the dungeons of Hogwarts. Ron had accompanied her to this point, and that was as far as he had been allowed. The both of them gulped when they peered down the darkened stairs, as all the torches had been extinguished, leaving the dungeons pitch black. As Ron bid her farewell for the afternoon, Hermione began to descend the stairs alone, wondering what she would discover in the inky blackness below. The young witch could hear the sound of water dripping onto stone growing louder and louder with each step. The dungeons were usually a damp place, so she thought nothing of it. She lit the tip of her wand, as the light from the top of the staircase had drastically receded. Hermione walked into the main dungeon corridor, and her foot instantly landed in a puddle. She looked down, frowning and shaking the water off her shoe. Shining the light of her wand along the floor of the corridor, she revealed small puddles of water were everywhere. Where had they come from? Turning, she walked over to the Potions classroom, and slowly opened the door. Water came rushing out around her feet. Hermione blinked, peering inside the room to inspect for further damage. Cauldrons were overturned, and desks were flipped onto their sides. Vials and beakers littered the stone floor, along with soggy Potions ingredients. Had the whole place flooded? Was it water from the lake? Hermione wondered if the Slytherin dormitories had suffered the same fate, or perhaps, since the password charm had still been intact at the time of the battle, it had been spared.

Hermione closed the door and began to walk again, this time heading deeper into the dungeons. Eventually, she arrived at what would normally be a dead end. Now, there was a large iron-wrought door in its place. Hermione smiled, recalling her second year at Hogwarts. She, Harry and Ron had sought to get into the Slytherin dormitories in order to find out if Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin. With some Polyjuice Potion, Harry and Ron turned into Crabbe and Goyle, while she had meant to turn into Millicent Bulstrode. However, Hermione didn't even get to go with her two friends, as she had turned into a humanoid feline instead. It had been her fault, for the hair she had used was that of a cat's and not Millicent Bulstrode's. Hermione had inspected ingredients to potions much more thoroughly from that day forward. Ron and Harry had told her what they had seen. She learned the location only, as Harry and Ron had claimed they hadn't time to look around; they were too focused on Malfoy at the time. She wished they had been able to get a better look at the place. It would be useful now. For with that information, she could more properly ascertain the damage, were there any at all.

Hermione gazed at the large set of doors, sighing. In normal circumstances, these doors would be hidden, and a password would be given to the guardian who was in charge of hiding them. She didn't know who or what that guardian had been, as it wasn't here now. It certainly couldn't be a portrait. Perhaps it was a tapestry or some sort of statue? It didn't matter at this moment, but that did nothing to quench her curiosity. Hermione shone the light of her wand at the doors, thoroughly examining them for any sign of damage. The design on the doors were those of pythons, carved into the iron. The silver handles too were snakes, and looked like a pair of silver vipers. The Slytherin house seemed nothing if not proud of their mascot. She stepped forward, and reached out, pulling on the door handles. The doors didn't budge, causing her to frown; they were not supposed to be locked.

"Alohomora," she exclaimed as she pointed her wand at the doors.

The handles glowed for a moment. If the doors were locked, they would be so no longer. She tried them again, with no avail, but this time she heard an odd creaking noise. Hermione blinked. It was something akin to the creak of a ship at sea. She paid it no mind, what mattered was getting beyond. She licked her lips and rubbed her hands together, determined to try one last time. This time, she pulled the handles quite forcibly, and doors burst open, a huge torrent of water rushing out like a cannon. Hermione was thrown backward, and her wand flying from her fingers as the entire place went dark. She screamed, the water seeming endless to her as it knocked her down and pressed her against the back wall, filling up the passageway. Without her wand, Hermione Granger was going to drown.

Suddenly, when she thought all was lost, Hermione heard someone yell a spell over the rush of water, the voice unrecognizable to her ears at this moment.

"Protego Totalum!"

A massive magical shield appeared around her, lighting up the room and causing the water to pass around her and the spell's caster. In absolute shock, all Hermione could do was stare as the water rushed by her, even though she was no longer in any danger. As soon as the water died down to a trickle, the shield dissipated, but the room was still lit by the light of someone's wand. Whoever had saved her was still here, and standing right by her. She saw her wand a few feet away, safely wedged in one of the nooks of a statue. Instinctively, Hermione rolled to one side through the water, snatching her wand, before getting up and leaping in the direction of the other person in the corridor. She pointed her quickly lit wand in the face of her savior. Hermione gasped, stepping back. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at who stood before her. It was none other than Draco Malfoy.


	2. Never a Foe, but Always a Fiend

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

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><p>Chapter 2: Never a Foe, But Always a Fiend<p>

Hermione could not believe her eyes. She hadn't seen Malfoy since the battle, when he and his family sat in the Great Hall with the other survivors. Now, he was here in the castle, saving her from a watery death. Hermione could do nothing else but stare, her wand still pointed in his face. She questioned,

"Malfoy, what are you doing down here?"

Malfoy was squinting due to the light of her wand. He frowned, giving her a disgruntled sigh before answering,

"For the same reason as everyone else, Granger. I want to assist with the castle's reconstruction. I trust that you have no qualms with that purpose? Now, could you please lower your wand? I would rather not go blind at such a young age."

Hermione did as he asked, but her gaze remained focused on him. He was here to help, was he? Malfoy brushed past her, walking through the now open doors to the Slytherin Dormitories. The torches on either side of the doors sputtered to life as he walked down the stairs leading to the common room. The place itself recognized the presence of the Slytherin. It certainly wouldn't have done that for her. After casting a quick drying charm on herself, Hermione jogged after him. When she entered the common room, she glanced around, fascinated. The place was huge. She looked to Malfoy, who was frowning at a large stone fireplace. Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when he asked suddenly,

"So, Granger, why is it are you down here, instead of repairing your own House with your friends?"

Hermione turned to look at him. She had so many questions about this place, but she knew that Malfoy wouldn't give her many answers. Each House had their own secrets to keep, most of all Slytherin, she imagined. Hermione licked her lips before replying simply,

"I was instructed by Professor McGonagall to assess the damage of the Slytherin dormitories, Malfoy, so we know how many people we should send down here to do the repairs."

"Well, go on and assess the damage in here then. I'll check on the rooms upstairs. I trust that is acceptable?"

Hermione gave him a small nod, before he turned around, trudging up a set of stairs. She spun on her heel, taking in the room around her. It was now that she saw all the damage. The entire common room was water sodden. Two large black leather couches were overturned and at opposite sides of the room. The coffee table, and various other side tables were split nearly beyond repair. Armchairs were ripped and laying at odd angles all about the large common room. A Persian rug lay wadded up into a pile near the middle of the room. So many irreparable books lay about as well. A part of her wondered what the place looked like before. The Slytherin common room was by far the largest of all the houses. It had to have been something grand to behold. As she turned in a circle, once more surveying the room, she noticed the stained glass windows that depicted a variety of images. She took a step toward one of them and was pulled from her reverie when a drop of water landed on her head, glass crunching beneath her feet. Hermione looked up, seeing the large glass dome. It also depicted a story, or a legend rather. Above her was a cracked image of The Basilisk, which Harry had slain in their second year. Wait, it was cracked? She blinked. Beyond it must be -

Her thoughts were once again interrupted, but this time by Malfoy's voice,

"...Well, seeing as there may be people filing in and out of here on day to day basis, I suppose giving you a little information about the place won't do much harm. Our dormitories are located deep underground, obviously. In fact, we're practically at the bottom of the lake. All the stained glass in here gives the entire place that sort of eerie glow, doesn't it?"

Hermione whirled around to face him. His trousers were drenched. She heard the sound of water trickling somewhere beyond him, but shook her head, saying,

"The one above us, it's cracked rather badly. I'm surprised water is not pouring in on us now."

"Ah, yes. I imagine with all the fighting that was going up above and with the destruction of the magical shield that encases the school, those cracks appeared rather quickly. The place would have been flooded in no time at all, given the location. Some of my housemates must have been in here when it occurred, otherwise, the door would not have been so tightly shut. They must have meant to trap the water here, before it got into the rest of the dungeons, but suffice to say, there were leaks outside of this place. The dorms are just as damaged, if not worse. The whole thing is going to need remodeling..."

He walked toward her, kicking a broken lamp out of his way. He looked up at the dome, holding his wand out . He muttered half heartedly,

"Reparo..."

The cracks began to disappear, returning the stained glass to its original state. As Hermione watched the dome repair itself, she had to hold down a smile. That was possibly the first time she had ever seen Malfoy perform a spell that wasn't a jinx, hex, or curse. After the glass was repaired, she asked,

"What was stopping anymore water from coming in? Perhaps when the wards went back up, the water ceased as well?"

"Perhaps that is the reason now, but prior to that...It was probably the merpeople. Their city must not be too far from here. We would occasionally see one swim past during the evening hours while we studied. I imagine that they didn't want their lake water wasted, and there is more than likely an amass of sand and small pebbles on the other side of the dome, used to plug the cracks where their own magic simply wouldn't cut it."

Hermione was about to make a comment on this, but then she noticed the wand he used. It was not his own. She asked,

"...Malfoy, did you get a new wand?"

"If you must know, it is my mother's. I don't suppose Potter told you that an Auror snapped mine in front of the entire Wizengamot, did he? They revoked my right to perform magic, too. I've only just regained it."

"No...he didn't. Malfoy...whether you believe me or not, I'm glad that you didn't receive worse. You could have been sent to Azkaban."

"I was imprisoned in Azkaban, Granger, for nearly three months. I'm still on probation. Believe me, I am forever thankful that Potter spoke for Mother and I. I know that he didn't have to. It's something will thank him properly for eventually."

Malfoy then frowned, walking off to inspect all the windows. Much to his relief, not a single one of them had cracked like the dome above them. Their cracks were only on the inside, not through and through. He was silent after performing another reparation charm, unaware of Hermione walking up to stand beside him until she spoke,

"These pictures...on the stained glass. I recognize the one on the dome as the Basilisk. What are the others?"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow, and sighed. He realized that he could not divulge much about this place, as she was still a Gryffindor, after all, but talking about the images depicted in these glass images would cause no harm. Most of them were common knowledge. He stated factually,

"Each of them depict a legend or accomplishment of Slytherin, one of his descendants, or another prominent member of this House. The Basilisk is sort of his...crowning achievement, so naturally, it received the largest. The others are..."

"Do you have a favourite?"

"Ex-excuse me? Do I what?"

"Do you have a favourite legend that is depicted here?"

Draco just looked at her for a moment, his expression incredulous. What kind of question was that? Perhaps if he said nothing, she would move on to another subject. She didn't. Hermione just continued to look at him, waiting patiently for an answer. Finally, he recanted.

"Yes, I do. My favourite one is in the ceiling of the girls' washroom. It's depicts one of Slytherin's sons, the Slytherin Prince, as he is aptly referred, slaying a Griffin." He watched her face for any reaction to this, since Griffins were considered another symbol of Gryfinndor. "As the legend goes, a very large one attacked the school while the founders were away, leaving only the students and their instructors. Merlin only knows how the Griffin got in. The faculty and students ended up barricading themselves within the Great Hall. However, one of the girl students had forgotten something important in her trunk and snuck out while everyone else slept in order to retrieve it. The Slytherin Prince awoke to a scream he heard from the deep inside the castle and went out to investigate. He saved her and slayed the Griffin, too."

Hermione gave him an incredulous look. She didn't know whether to be more surprised at a brave story like that being his favourite, or the fact that he had been in the girls' washroom. She just blinked at him, asking,

"Malfoy, aren't there charms preventing you from walking into the girls' rooms?"

"Our dormitories, unlike other Houses, do not have the same charms preventing boys and girls from going into each others' rooms. Salazar Slytherin trusted his students enough not to do anything stupid. Snape and the previous Heads of House kept the tradition. I imagine that Slughorn will do the same, as he did when he was Head of Slytherin House before."

"So, you or any of the other boys can just...walk in there whenever you so please."

"Well, no, if the girls don't want us in there, then we cannot, but otherwise we can roam this place freely." He smiled. "I imagine that this is a bit of a shock to you...you do realize why those charms are in place, right?"

"I'm not shocked, Malfoy, just surprised. And, there are charms like that to prevent the boys from going through the girls' things, and vice versa. As well as the prevention of couples sleeping together."

"Not that it could be prevented, really. People always find a way. But, like I said, if they don't _want_ us in there, we can't get in. Same goes for us. If we don't want a girl hanging around in our area, they can't get in either."

"Oh, I suppose that's better than no charms at all..."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them, in which Malfoy just glanced around the Slytherin common room again. Hermione picked up a few of the ruined books off the floor, setting them down on one of the window ledges. She was surprised that Malfoy was actually being pleasant. His voice still held that drawling, snide tone, but at least he wasn't insulting her constantly. After a moment, Malfoy spoke,

"We should probably report to Professor McGonagall. I was able to repair cracked domes the girls' quarters, and I barely got to the one in the boys'. Our beds had washed up against the door, blocking it, and I could only open it enough to cast the reparation charm on the dome in there. The place is still mostly filled with water, which is why I'm wet. I don't know how the bathrooms look...they could be even worse."

Hermione looked to the exit, saying,

"It would be unwise for us to try anything, regardless of our experience with wandwork."

Malfoy nodded in agreement, and walked past her. She followed. It was obvious that there was a change in him. The war changed a lot of people, it seemed. It had been eight months since the Final Battle. It was now mid January, and they wanted the school open for next term, in August. With all that she had seen, the reparations would be finished by May at the very latest, which would mark a year since the Final Battle. As they walked through the damp corridor, Hermione said,

"I probably shouldn't let on that I know the location of the Slytherin dormitories, should I?"

Malfoy immediately shook his head, and said,

"Definitely not, unless you wish to be on the receiving end of a badly cast Memory Charm. A portion of my housemates are not what one would call bright, and those are the ones who would be foolish enough to come at you with a wand." He gave a sigh of disdain. "I hope, once they graduate, they will gain a certain level of maturity, so they can become better witches and wizards. As well as educate themselves in the proper casting of spells..."

"And, I suppose that you have that maturity and skill, Malfoy?"

He then gave her one of his trademark smirks, for a moment reverting to the boy Hermione once knew. Though, his retort was nothing akin to his former self. He chuckled, saying,

"I was always second to you in marks, Granger."

He gave her another smirk, and then walked on ahead. Hermione was unsure how to interpret his remark. Had he been bragging on his own grades? Had he been whining about always coming second to a Muggleborn? Or, had he been acknowledging the fact that she was intelligent, and paying her a small compliment? This new Malfoy was complete enigma.

They walked into the Headmistress' office, and she seemed awfully surprised to see them. Hermione muttered,

"I'm sorry I took so long, Professor. There was a bit of an...accident."

She raised an eyebrow, as if to ask, 'Well?' Hermione continued,

"When I opened the door to the Slytherin dormitories...I was knocked back by a torrent of water. I had no idea the place had been flooded. My wand flew from my hand, and were it not for Malfoy here, I would have probably drowned. After that, he helped in assessing the damage to the place."

Hermione looked away, and Professor McGonagall glanced at Malfoy, chuckling,

"So, that is why you were not in my office at the specified time. I was beginning to think that you had changed your mind about meeting with me. But, I suppose your tardiness can be forgiven...since you were busy saving Ms. Granger from a watery demise. Though, I cannot say anyone would believe me if I let that slip. Alright, so how much damage was there?"

Malfoy cleared his throat, and then said,

"As Granger said, it was entirely flooded, Professor. Every glass dome within held a variety of cracks and holes. I was able to repair them, with the exception of the washrooms. I could not access them. The entire place, though, will have to be dried out, cleaned, and remodeled. I worry not about the ceiling collapsing, for thankfully it is made of stone."

Professor McGonagall looked to Hermione, asking,

"All is as he says?"

Hermione nodded, replying,

"I stuck to the common room, to tell you the truth, Professor. I didn't want to intrude on the personal rooms of the Slytherin dormitories when I was in the presence of one. That would be rude. But, yes, as far as I am aware, all is as he says."

"Good, now there is something I must speak with Mr. Malfoy about privately before I begin to discuss those restoration plans with you. If you do not mind waiting in there, Miss Granger..."

She gestured to a door on her left, and it opened with a creak. Hermione smiled as she noted all the books within. Professor McGonagall continued,

"That is the normally private collection of books to which all of the school's past Headmasters and Headmistresses contributed. There are some extremely valuable and rare tomes in there, Miss Granger, so I trust that you will find something that suits your fancy."

Hermione nodded, grinning from ear to ear as she walked into the private library. As she entered, the door shut behind her and light filled the room. There were hundreds and hundreds of books before her, and never had they been touched by a student's hands. As she walked around, she noticed that books were not arranged according to title or author, but instead by the Headmaster or Headmistress who had contributed the book to this rare library. Each shelf bore a gold nameplate, so whoever browsed them could know which Head of the school had donated its contents. Some of them even had two bookcases, and they were filled to the brim with books both large and small. Except for one. In the back corner of the room was a small, grey bookcase that held only one leather-bound novel. Hermione squat down to get a closer look, wanting to see whose name was on this one in particular. Her eyes widened at the sight of the name: _Headmaster__ Severus Snape._

Yes, the former Potions Master had been Headmaster of Hogwarts during the war with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Snape's reign as Headmaster had been brief, falling only into that year of war and his term ending when he had been murdered by Voldemort himself. Harry had gained a certain respect for him, and shot down anyone who said otherwise. Both Ron and Hermione were mostly unsure of his reasons, but something must have happened when Harry witnessed Snape's death. Hermione had no doubt in her mind that what he had seen was only one of the factors contributing to Harry's current mental state. Hermione shook those thoughts away. She could ponder this some other time. Now, she was interested in the one book that lay in Professor Snape's bookcase. She had not expected him to have a bookcase at all. Gently, she picked up the leather-bound book. Running her fingers over the golden lettering of the title, she whispered it aloud,

"The Lion, The Snake, and their Secrets."

She flipped through the first couple of pages to find that it had no author. Had Snape himself written this book? What did the title mean? She opened the book, and began to read. The first lines of the introduction made her brow furrow.

'_If you are reading this book, then you are one of the few who has found themselves mistrusting the current histories of Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. I am here to tell you that many of the rumors and legends surrounding the two are indeed true. Some say that Gryffindor, using the immense trust people had in him, instructed that their histories be written in a certain way, by excluding the parts in which his reputation was damaged and exaggerating Slytherin's dark deeds. These secrets have been kept from the world for far too long.'_

Hermione gulped. This book sounded like a massive conspiracy theory, but something was nagging in the back of her mind, urging her that this book needed to be read. She sighed. It was a feeling she could not ignore. Conspiracy theory or not, once she picked up a book to read, Hermione would seldom set it down. Sitting down on the floor, she resumed her reading, wanting to know what else the book had to say about the two Hogwarts founders.

Professor McGonagall had sat in silence for a few moments, just surveying the young man who stood before her. He said not a word, waiting for her to speak. Finally, she smiled, saying,

"It is quite unlike the Draco Malfoy I knew to help a Gryffindor...even less likely to help a Muggleborn...and even more unlikely...to help Miss Granger."

Her smile turned into a smirk, and Draco met her eyes, saying,

"You and I both know that I am not the person I was...I'm no longer that boy...I proved that to you during the war."

"Yes, I know. You risked your life for me and those children, and I am forever grateful. I always knew that you were not what you seemed, Mr. Malfoy. Severus and Albus saw that too, I believe, perhaps more so than myself." She looked sad for a moment, thinking of her former colleagues. "Though, Miss Granger still knows you as the boy you were. No doubt she was surprised that it was you who came to her rescue. You could have called for me to help her instead of going yourself."

"I heard her scream, Professor. It was the very same scream I heard when my Aunt Bellatrix was torturing her. I couldn't bare to hear that sound again. Besides, I wasn't just going to let her drown. I'm...I'm not my father."

Professor McGonagall gave him a sympathetic smile as he looked away quickly. It was unlike the Draco Malfoy everyone knew to be so chivalrous. However, unbeknownst to most, Draco had been at the school quite a bit during the war. Long before the final battle, he caught Professor McGonagall trying to sneak some younger students out of the school, back to their parents, to safety. He had been on guard duty about the grounds, dressed in a Death Eater's garb. Professor McGonagall had raised her wand, ready to strike, but he held up his hands, shaking his head. He had walked closer, muttering,

_"I can help you escape. I won't harm you. Follow me if you want to proceed to safety. You have my word as a Wizard that I am telling the truth. Make not a sound."_

Professor McGonagall had recognized his voice, and nodded, putting away her wand. He escorted them safely into the Forbidden Forest, Professor McGonagall pointing him in the correct direction. She had managed to arrange a Portkey to be set up in the forest. When they had almost reached it, two Death Eaters arrived. Draco had whirled around and began to duel the both of them, urging Professor McGonagall to proceed forward. After Professor McGonagall had escorted the students to the Portkey and made sure they escaped safely, she returned to where Draco had been, only to discover the two Death Eater unconscious on the ground, at the receiving end of some very powerful Memory Charms. As far as she knew, the charms had never been traced back to Draco's wand.

Returning back to the present, Professor McGonagall found herself smiling. Draco Malfoy had grown up. He was genuinely trying to make up for the terrible things he had done in his youth. She cleared her throat. It was time to discuss with him the reason why she had summoned him here for a meeting. After licking her lips in thought, she said,

"Enough about that...we must discuss the reason why I brought you here today. Because of your position and your family's involvement with Lord Voldemort during the war...as well as your attempt on Albus Dumbledore's life...you spent three months in Azkaban prior to your trial before the Wizengamot. At the trial, Harry Potter and myself argued in your defense, as well as your mother's. Because of the help the two of you gave during the war, however limited, you were placed on probation, and your mother on house arrest."

Draco gave her a sideways glance. He knew all of this already. He hated what the war had done to his family, and he had helped where he could, regardless of the consequences. He had helped smuggle those students out of the school, and failed to identify Potter to his Aunt Bellatrix, which had saved Potter's life. Following that, he and his mother delivered anonymous tips to the remainder of the Order of the Phoenix. His father never knew all that he had done until the day of trial, in which Lucius nearly broke away from the Aurors to attempt to beat Draco black and blue. At that trial, Draco had told all. He didn't even need the Veritaserum. His mother followed suit, and tearfully betrayed her husband. Lucius, unwilling to admit when he was wrong and still proud of what he had done, had held his head high, refused to take Veritaserum and denied everything. His choice had landed him straight in Azkaban for the remainder of his life.

Draco had been glad to see the bastard go. He had only wished that his father's imprisonment had not reduced his mother to a state of depression. Despite his father's actions in the war, his cruel nature, and the harm he had caused Draco over the years, Narcissa had loved him, and insisted that Lucius had not always been the way Draco had always known him. He used to be kind. The woman still held love for him, even now. Draco tried his best to understand and accept his mother's feelings. He loved his mother more than anything in the world, you see, and he would do anything to protect her.

Professor McGonagall could tell that Draco didn't want her to explain her reasons for him being here in such great detail, but she truly had to reiterate this information. Smiling, she continued,

"As you already know, your probation requires you to perform a service to the Wizarding Community. Unfortunately, the Wizengamot has yet to assign you a service yet..perhaps they-"

Draco sighed, turning to her as he interrupted. He asked,

"Do you know why that is, Professor?"

"I can see that you do not want me to sugarcoat this for you. No one wants a former Death Eater in their workplace, Draco. It is bad for business. It makes everyone uncomfortable and nervous. But, I imagine you already knew that, correct?"

"Indeed, but the Wizengamot knows that it wasn't my choice to become one. I was protecting my family! They...they were going to kill us if I didn't do as I was told. They know all this, and they have the power to place me anywhere, regardless of what people think... And, yet they aren't doing a thing! Hells teeth, Professor, even Minister Shacklebolt himself petitioned for my acquittal of all those heinous charges, and supported probation only. Is it really that difficult to just assign me...something?!"

"I understand you plight, Draco, but you must understand that the Ministry and the Wizengamot are focusing entirely on repairing our World to its 'former glory.'" She gave him a sympathetic smile. "They seek the happiness of the people as a whole and want this peace to continue. They will shoot down anything that disrupts or may disrupt that."

"The people matter more than the individual...right, of course," he said with great disdain.

"I know it is unfair, Draco. And, that is why I summoned you here today. I made a proposition to the Wizengamot in regards to your service."

"You...you what?"

Draco's eyes were wide in surprise. This caused Professor McGonagall to chuckle at his reaction. He acted as if she was incapable of any such he could ask any more questions, she raised her hand, saying,

"Let me explain. The other teachers and I have come to the decision that we are going to allow students that were unable to complete their final year here to return next term in order to do so. Letters will be sent out, explaining this and asking if they would like to partake in such a thing. Response must be given immediately, in order for us to make the necessary arrangements in class scheduling. I have not spoken to any other student about this."

"Not even Potter, Weasley, or Granger?"

"No, there is no need, for I think we both know what their answers will be."

She smirked, and Draco just shook his head. Was this all there was to his service? There had to be a catch. There was always a catch. He questioned,

"There's more to it than that where I'm concerned, isn't there? I'm not just returning to complete my education..am I?"

"Right on the money, Mr. Malfoy! Should you accept my offer to complete your seventh year, you will carry out the duties of Head Boy as your service. If you decline, well...who knows when your service will be assigned. It could be years from now."

"Professor, that doesn't make sense...no one will want to listen to a word I say, not even if I'm Head Boy. There will be an uproar. And, _if_ I go back, I'll be an outcast.."

"Which is precisely the reason why the Wizengamot found this idea to be so delightful." She gave him a sad smile. Poor boy. "You will have to prove yourself to them, Draco. You will have to get the students to forgive your past behavior and actions,so that they can put their trust in you. With your outstanding grades, behavioral records aside, you are suited for the position. Will you accept this service?"

"I...require some time to think about this, Professor, as well as discuss it with my mother."

He sighed, wringing his hands. He had already stayed at the castle long enough. Draco was worried about his mother. She had been alone most of the day. Well, there were Aurors stationed about the grounds, but they were not the sort of company she needed. They wouldn't speak with her unless necessary. He needed to get home, and soon. He was pulled from his reverie when Professor McGonagall asked a question,

"Speaking of your mother, how is she doing?"

"She was doing quite well up until a month ago... now...well, she's getting by, but it's hard to see her so...sad. I'm her only comfort."

"I see...and the wand you carry...it is.."

"Hers. She really isn't up for doing magic these days, Professor. And, I cannot buy another just yet."

"...I'm sorry about your father, Draco."

"I'm not sorry he's dead. He deserved what he got. I'm just sorry that his death caused my mother to go into such a relapse. She had been doing so well. As much as I'd like to stay, Professor, I should be getting home. You'll receive my answer within the week."

Draco turned on his heel, walking towards the door, but suddenly stopped. He asked,

"Professor, out of sheer curiosity, who is going to be Head Girl this year?"

Professor McGonagall only smiled, saying quietly,

"Now, Draco, that would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it? Please say hello to your mother for me when you arrive at home."

Draco held down a smile, closing his eyes for a moment before exiting the office.

Hermione had been quite engrossed in the book she had found. It was all so well supported and brilliantly written. She didn't know what to believe. If anything in this book was true, then it could change many things she knew about being a Gryffindor, and about Hogwarts. She had read up through the third chapter when she heard Malfoy raise his voice. Looking up from the book, she tried desperately to hear what he had said,

_" ...But, the Wizengamot knows that it wasn't my choice to become one. I was protecting my family! They...they were going to kill us if I didn't do as I was told! They know all this, and they have the power to place me anywhere, regardless of what people think... And, yet they aren't doing a thing! Hells teeth, Professor, even Minister Shacklebolt himself petitioned for my acquittal of all those heinous charges, and supported probation only. Is it really that difficult to just assign me...something?!"_

Hermione blinked. Harry had told her very little of what had transpired during the Malfoy Trial. He had left out Draco's time in Azkaban and the fact that an Auror had snapped his wand. Now, the Wizengamot was supposed to assign him something? Did Wizards have community service just as criminals in the Muggle world did? She really needed to do some more research on Magical Law Enforcement. She tried to listen again, marking her place in the book as she walked to the door. Her hand went to her mouth in shock by what she heard,

_"I'm not sorry he's dead. He deserved what he got. I'm just sorry that his death caused my mother to go into such a relapse...she had been doing so well. As much as I'd like to stay, Professor, I should be getting home. You'll receive my answer within the week." _

Lucius Malfoy...was dead. Why hadn't that been in the Daily Prophet? It very well should have been. She stepped away from the door suddenly, hearing Professor McGonagall walk to it. Hermione held the book she had been reading in her hand, hoping that the Headmistress would let her borrow it. Hermione moved quickly and made it look like she was inspecting one of the larger bookshelves when Professor McGonagall opened the door. She turned to look at her as the Headmistress said,

"I'm afraid I spoke a little too long with Mr. Malfoy, and it is now time for supper in the Great Hall. I'll go check on the Slytherin dormitories myself tomorrow morning. The two of you gave me enough information to know what to expect upon entering the place. You might as well join your friends at the feast."

Hermione nodded, and then blinked, saying,

"Oh, Professor, you haven't spoken with Harry yet, have you?"

"No, I never saw him. That, too, will have to wait until tomorrow. Please inform him that I would like to speak with him when you see him at dinner, I trust that Mr. Weasley has forgotten that I needed to talk with Potter, if he has seen him already."

"Typical Ron behaviour. It's nothing new, Professor."

"Oh, I realize that, Miss Granger. He's more forgetful than the twins. At least the twins turned in their homework on their own..."

She gave Hermione a pointed look, causing the girl to look away, blushing. So, Professor McGonagall had known she was helping Ron this entire time. She wasn't surprised at all. After a moment, Hermione asked,

"Could I...borrow this book, Professor?"

"I don't see why not. I know you will return it unscathed. Now, off you go. You need to eat just as much as the next person. I'm sure nearly drowning dredged up quite an appetite."

She smiled and Hermione laughed gently. She was thankful Professor McGonagall had a sense of humor. Waving, Hermione left the office. As she walked down to the feast, all she could wonder was one thing: _What happened to the Malfoys?_


	3. They Can't Win

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: <span>They Can't Win<span>

When Hermione arrived at the feast, everyone was already eating. She glanced about, holding her new book to her chest. She was immensely glad that Professor McGonagall had allowed her to borrow such a seemingly rare book. As she walked beside the long tables, she looked around, her eyes searching for Harry and Ron. It did not take long for her to locate them, as Ron was practically stuffing his face with food and continually shoving more onto his and Harry's plates. Harry was just laughing. Hermione frowned, noticing that Harry wasn't touching any of the food. He just sort of looked at it in an uninterested way. Harry had lost a lot of weight in the months following the war, but that had not lasted very long, as Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let him eat too little while he stayed at the Burrow. He had gained most of the weight back by this time, but he still did not eat as much as he should. Hermione was always worried about him. Harry was not only her best friend, but he was like a brother to her. The brother she never had. Sighing, she finally sat down between the two boys, using her elbows to push the two of them apart playfully. Ron asked,

"'Mione, where have you been? Were the Slytherin dorms destroyed or something?"

Hermione nodded, glancing at Harry while she replied, wondering why he had yet to eat off his filled plate,

"Yes, Ron. The entire place was flooded with water from the lake. It is extensively water damaged and is now in need of remodeling. Harry... are you going to eat anything? You haven't touched your food yet..."

"Oh, come off it, 'Mione. Let Harry eat as he pleases."

"Well, I'm sorry for being concerned for our _best friend_, Ronald. I'm allowed to be worried, you know."

Hermione and Ron began arguing about Harry and his eating habits. Harry shook his head, sighing. He hated it when they got into arguments like this, especially if it involved him. They really didn't have to worry about him so much. He was capable of doing things on his own. Months ago he would have needed all the help and concern, but things were better now, much better. He smiled slightly, and interrupted,

"The battle didn't show an ounce of mercy to any part of this castle, did it? Also, I had lunch with Healer Valchrom today, Hermione. She had brought sandwiches to the office from her home, and offered me some. I didn't want to be rude. Thank you for the concern, though. Perhaps I'll have some dessert in a bit, but I'm still pretty full from lunch. "

Trying to quell her concerns of him not eating enough, Harry gave her a big smile when he was finished speaking and then took a sip of his pumpkin juice. He began to eye the desserts, contemplating whether or not he should eat one of them. He hoped that Hermione would quit worrying about him so much. He was thankful for the fact that she was concerned about him, but every time she mentioned it, Ron would begin to argue with her. That got old very quickly. Ron interrupted his thoughts when he took a loud, large swig of pumpkin juice, and then gasped, remembering something. He said, swallowing hard,

"Merlin's beard! Oh, you will never guess who we ran into on the way here, 'Mione..."

"Obviously, it's someone you didn't expect to see, otherwise you wouldn't be mentioning it."

"It was bloody Malfoy! He was strutting down the hall like he owned the place! He does all that shit in the war, and then he thinks he can just come back here? Harry, isn't he supposed to be on probation or something? How come he isn't at home with his _precious mummy_?"

Hermione shook her head. She highly doubted that Malfoy had been strutting down the hall. He may still be a bit snide, but strutting like he owned the place? No. Even Malfoy knew that he needed to behave a certain way these days and reverting back to his school boy behavior was not a wise choice. She knew that Malfoy was intelligent. He wouldn't do something so stupid, at least not now. Harry had just popped a cream puff pastry in his mouth as Ron asked him the question. After he finished chewing and had swallowed his food, he replied,

"Yes, he's on probation, but that doesn't mean he has to stay at the Manor. Perhaps he was here to see if he could help out with the rebuilding? I mean, he didn't volunteer to be a Death Eater, Ron. You know that just as well as I do. " He paused, adjusting his glasses. "He's going to have to redeem himself, too, before he can get himself a job."

"And helping here is going to him get that redemption?" Ron shook his head, slamming his fist on the table. "It's going to take him a long time to make up for what he's done. I get that he's trying and all, but once a prat always a prat."

Ron went back to eating his food, continuing to mumble to himself about Malfoy while Hermione and Harry exchanged glances. The ill blood between the Malfoys and the Weasleys ran far too deep, and Ron was incapable of feeling anything less than hatred for them. In this case, he really did have the emotional range of a teaspoon. Hermione had picked up a Cauldron Cake and turned to Harry to ask about his appointment when Ginny walked up. She was frowning, a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands. Harry slid closer to Hermione, making room for Ginny to sit. He was the first to speak, asking,

"What's up, Gin?"

Ginny just handed him the paper, shaking her head before grabbing a Pumpkin Pasty. She muttered,

"Just...read the headline, Harry."

Harry set the paper down on the table as Ron and Hermione leaned toward him to get a good look at the front page. Each of them had a different reaction to the shocking bit of news. Ron was looking rather smug, Hermione was frowning, and Harry was blinking in surprise. The headline read,

**LUCIUS MALFOY FOUND DEAD: CAUSES UNDETERMINED**

_At 2:30 pm on December 27th, Lucius Malfoy was found dead in his prison cell at Azkaban. According to the guards, Mr. Malfoy, a former Death Eater, had been in prime health. He had, surprisingly enough, been one of the more docile Death Eaters who was serving time. Guards also state that, while it is not unusual for a prisoner to die during their term in Azkaban, the causes are usually quite natural. (Heart attacks and old age are the most common.) But, the cause of Mr. Malfoy's death remains a mystery to both the guards and Medi-Wizards. According to Lucien Dodge, the Auror currently in charge of the investigation of Mr. Malfoy's death, Mr. Malfoy had received no visitors during his entire stay at Azkaban, not even from his own family. Because of this, murder has been deemed as highly unlikely. All leads are currently pointing to suicide. [Turn to page A4 for the complete story.]_

Hermione was staring at the table, still frowning. She had found out earlier, when she was practically eavesdropping on Malfoy and Professor McGonagall's meeting. She wasn't about to let on that she had prior knowledge, obviously, so she remained silent, thinking about the article itself. The causes of Lucius Malfoy's death had been deemed as undetermined, and yet all leads were pointing toward suicide. Would the man's pride even allow him to do such a thing? She glanced over at Harry, who looked genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected such a thing to occur either. She heard Ron mutter,

"Well...good riddance... the bloody bastard deserved what he got..."

Hermione clenched her jaw in annoyance and anger. That was someone's family who had died. How could Ron be so insensitive? She hated Lucius Malfoy just as much as the next person and was glad that he was no longer a problem, but, unless that person is Lord Voldemort or an equivalent to him, she could not say anyone deserved death. Draco Malfoy himself, like Ron, was glad that his father was gone, but he had admitted that he was upset by what his death had done to his mother. Loss hurt in many different ways. Hermione suddenly lost her appetite, and she got up, her expression angry. Ron gave her an incredulous look, and asked,

"'Mione, where are you going? You haven't eaten a thing. Is something bother-"

Hermione didn't answer, or ev bother listening to the rest of his question. She just shook her head, walking away. She didn't want to get in another fight with Ron today, especially in front of people. As she exited the Great Hall, she saw Harry crossing his arms, saying something to Ron. Ron didn't look too pleased with whatever was said. Hermione smiled. She'd have to thank Harry later. He was always the one who broke up their fights or arguments, even though he didn't have to. These were her thoughts as she walked through the courtyard, and she only stopped when she heard footsteps behind her. It was Harry. He asked,

"You alright, Hermione? Ron's a bit confrontational today, isn't he?"

She sighed and frowned to him, saying,

"He has always been argumentative, Harry, but not like this. It's getting worse, and I don't know what I am going to do about it. Perhaps after the castle is finished with its reconstruction, Ron will calm down a bit. I hope it's just stress..."

Hermione and Ron had become something of an item following the war, something the both of them had wanted for years. However, despite the kiss they had shared in the midst of the battle, the whirlwind romance that the tabloids reported, Hermione and Ron's relationship was far from perfect. After a month or two of being together, the relationship took a bit of a turn. When Hogwarts began reconstruction, Hermione decided that, were it offered, she would complete her final year at Hogwarts and then pursue a job at the Ministry. Ron, on the other hand, was already on the board for Auror Training, which would begin as soon as the situation at the Ministry had settled down. He had expressed to Hermione that he did not see why she would need to finish her final year, as the Ministry had promised them that they would have positions for them when they saw fit to apply. Education was important to Hermione, and she did not want to leave something unfinished. It was simply her nature, which was, even after all these years, difficult for Ron to grasp. In addition, Ron wanted to start a family as soon as possible, which Hermione did not agree with. She wanted to be comfortable in her career before even thinking about children.

Thus, the two began to argue profusely, more so than they had when they were younger. It soon became apparent to both of them, Hermione especially, that they were in drastically different places in life. Only a few short weeks ago, she had decided to end it, before either of them invested too much into the relationship. However, despite Ron's vocal agreement with the situation, he still kept trying. She only hoped he did not turn bitter. Harry sighed, looking at Hermione,

"I imagine that it is. He still really cares for you, you know. I think he does this sort of thing to impress you, or maybe this is how he is coping with the breakup. He's not exactly going about it the right way though, is he?"

Harry flashed Hermione one of his signature smiles, one she had not seen in many months. She realized that he was trying to make her feel better. Hermione smiled back, giving Harry a hug as she said,

"Thanks, Harry. I'm heading back to the Hog's Head for some much needed sleep. You should go visit Professor McGonagall before you leave. She wanted to see you. I'll see you in the morning. Enjoy the rest of the feast for me."

Harry nodded, watching Hermione walk out of the courtyard and Disapparate with a loud crack.

Malfoy Manor held its usual silence when Draco arrived at home. He hung up his cloak on the coat rack and pocketed his mother's wand. Judging by the crackling sound of a fire coming from the study, he surmised that his mother must be in there. Narcissa Malfoy missed her husband quite badly, and the study was one of the few locations that drastically improved her mood, for the study had belonged to Lucius himself. He surmised it was one of the only ways his mother could still remain close to his father. Draco sighed, walking into the room. There he found her sitting on the loveseat in front of the fire as she read the Daily Prophet. She looked upset as her eyes scanned the paper, not even looking up when her son sat at her side. Draco tilted his head to the side to read the article. He frowned, seeing a picture of his father look straight at him and smirk in his usual way. Draco was able to read through the article over his mother's shoulder. After a moment, he sighed,

"So, they finally announced it, did they? ...What caused them to let the public know, I wonder."

Narcissa glanced at her son, frowning. She crumpled up the paper and threw it into the fire, watching for a moment as the flames consumed it. As she sunk back into the loveseat, she said,

"They can only hold such important news for so long. According to the Auror who checked in on me earlier this evening, their reason was that 'the public needed something to allay their fears.' So, they brought our name out into the media...again. We've had peace these past few months. What gave them the right to end it? We have done nothing, absolutely nothing in these few months. What sort of fears were they seeking to allay?"

"They had no right to announce in the way they did. In that, we agree. But, I know that they could not keep it a secret forever, no matter how many times you begged them, mother..."

He would not and could not say to her that the news of a Death Eater's passing would be a comfort in and of itself to many. It was less for the people to worry about. The Death Eater they happened to use for this vendetta was Lucius Malfoy. Was it on purpose that their name was once more brought into the media? He could only guess.

"I know, Draco, I know. It is...hard, though. Our lives are so difficult now, and I am still not used to it. We worked so hard to get into a place where we could access our money and investments again, and they take it all away with the announcement of Lucius' death."

She sighed, wringing her hands before looking Draco, who gave her a reassuring smile. Narcissa then laughed slightly, and said,

"Well, enough of this dismal conversation, Draco. How was your little meeting with Minerva? Was it of any importance?"

Draco nodded slightly, and his mother smiled. She looked hopeful now, perhaps this would help their family regain the trust of the Wizarding community, or at least begin to lead them on that path. Draco finally answered,

"It was informative and potentially helpful to at least my reputation, but that in itself depends on the answer I give her."

She gestured for him to continue.

"Professor McGonagall made me an offer in regards to the Service I need to do for the Wizarding Community."

"And?"

"It has been approved by the Wizengamot as appropriate, if I choose to take it."

"Draco, you didn't agree to it immediately?"

"I told her that I needed to discuss it with you first, Mother. I thought it appropriate."

"Oh...Draco...you didn't have to." She almost laughed. "Is it that hard for you to make a decision like this on your own?"

"Mother, this involves me returning to Hogwarts to complete my final year of schooling."

"That doesn't sound too-"

"And, I am to carry out the duties of Head Boy." He interrupted.

Narcissa did not respond. Instead, she just looked at him, frowning. Anyone else would have found that service to be incredibly easy, but what with their current reputation, that would not be the case. It was true that Draco's marks in his past years at Hogwarts made it entirely acceptable for him to be given the title of Head Boy. However, people would argue on the case of his behavior. She knew that her son had been a bit of a bully in school and had not been kind to his classmates. Narcissa understood why he did this. Out of fear of his Father, he had acted as Lucius had desired, portraying himself as a miniature version of his father. This excuse wouldn't make up for his behavior, obviously, but the final decision on who becomes Head Boy was up to the Headmistress. Narcissa knew that the students would not be happy with Professor McGonagall's choice in Draco, if he decided to take the offer. She frowned at the thought of her son being treated as a complete outcast. By the look on his face, she could tell that he knew very well of how he could be treated. People would be cruel, and no kindness or pity would be shown to him. To all of them, Draco Malfoy was still a Death Eater. Narcissa whispered,

"And, you understand why the Wizengamot agreed to this service, correct?"

Draco nodded, meeting his mother's eyes before she continued,

"It's almost cruel. This year will be difficult for you, Draco, and we both know I am not referring to your schoolwork. No one is going to agree with Minerva's decision to appoint you as Head Boy. None of your friends will be returning to the school, and you will be treated harshly -"

Draco shook his head, interrupting,

"I know, mother. I didn't really have any friends in school, save for Blaise, but, that is not what is impeding my decision." He paused. "My hesitation in taking this offer is not because of the difficulties I will face. I can handle those, but is the thought of leaving you all alone in this house. I don't think I can do that, not for an entire year."

Narcissa stared at him for a moment, her face blank. But, soon a smile found its way onto her features as she laughed and enveloped her son in a hug. She whispered,

"Oh, Draco, you really do have a big heart, and I love you for it. However, you know that there is no way in hell that I am going to let you throw this opportunity away. This may be the only service that comes to the table for years.. So, you will take the offer."

"Mother, I can't just-"

"There will be no arguing about this, Draco. As much as I appreciate your concern for me, I will be fine. There are Aurors who come to check on me all of the time. You have a life to build, and this may be your only chance to truly redeem yourself. Show them the Draco I know, not the one your father made you be."

Narcissa pulled away from Draco for but a moment to smile at him reassuringly. He was far too good to her. Here he was with an offer to practically eliminate his ill record, and he wished to stay at home with her. She wouldn't have that, no, not at all. Watching Draco sigh in defeat, she laughed under her breath. When it came to his mother, Draco could never win. He smiled slightly, saying,

"Alright, mother, I'm not exactly happy about it, but you win. I'll return to Hogwarts as Head Boy. I will owl Professor McGonagall first thing in the morning...But, what about my school books and supplies? And a new wand?"

Narcissa frowned. The Wizengamot had frozen their bank accounts during the investigation of Lucius' death, so purchasing items for school would be difficult. Neither Draco or Narcissa were allowed access to the family vaults in Gringotts. How were they going to purchase the items he needed for school? Draco's wand had been snapped at his trial, and he had been just regained his right to perform magic. Narcissa licked her lips in thought. She had some money stowed away in the house, having saved it up specifically for an emergency. That she ever had to use it was a disappointment. After a moment, she said,

"Don't you worry about that, Draco. I'll take care of it. As for your wand, you may continue to use mine until we are able to get you a new one. We both know that I won't be doing magic for quite awhile."

Draco wasn't going to ask how she would go about getting all of these things for him. His mother had always had her ways. That much of her had stayed the same, and he was immensely glad. He gave her a gentle hug, saying,

"Thank you, mother. I'm off to bed. It's been a long day. I'll see you in the morning, yes?"

Narcissa nodded, a smile on her lips. She then watched her son exit the room, heading to his own. Things were going to be rough from here on out.


	4. What Has Been Hidden

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Also, this chapter is a bit long, and I am working as fast as I can with these uploads. Classes start next week, so I may be uploading frequently...or perhaps not. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: What Has Been Hidden<strong>

Approximately two and a half months had passed since the announcement of Lucius Malfoy's death, as well as Hermione's encounter with Malfoy. Not a single person besides Hermione, Professor McGonagall, and Draco himself knew about the events that occurred down in the dungeons. Not a soul knew that Draco had saved Hermione Granger's life. These were the thoughts that ran through Hermione's mind as she sat in the almost completed Gryffindor Common Room. It was the middle of May, and each House's dorms were going through the final stages of reconstruction. The castle was expected to be fully repaired by the end of June. As she looked around the Common Room, Hermione noted that it was almost an exact replica of the one she had sat in two years ago. She smiled, wondering how the other Houses were faring. She had heard from Luna Lovegood that the Ravenclaw students were having a bit of trouble repairing the glass ceiling in their Common Room. Apparently, Reparation Charms were not working as they should. Ernie MacMillan told her yesterday that they only had to place a few more charms on the entire dormitory. The Gryffindor students still had to arrange the sleeping quarters, and everyone wanted to do something different. All things considered, the reconstruction was running smoothly on all accounts.

But, what of the Slytherin Dorms? Professor McGonagall had let Hermione know, in confidence, that Malfoy insisted to do the repairs on his own. This had surprised Hermione greatly. No one could do that much work by themselves. She didn't press the Headmistress for more information. Malfoy was trying to redeem himself, which she could take as entirely selfish. But, taking in his actions in the dungeons a few months ago...Hermione didn't know what to think of Malfoy now. Was all of this for personal gain, or was Draco Malfoy simply...misunderstood? Hermione let out a sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers. She needed something to ease her troubled mind. Shuffling through her bag, she pulled out the book Professor McGonagall had allowed her to borrow those two and a half months ago.

As she ran her hands over the cover, Hermione recalled how the introduction had given her that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, the one that told her this was something she shouldn't be reading. Did that matter now? This book could possibly change everything she knew about Gryffindor. Was she prepared to face the consequences of knowing this information? She gulped. Perhaps it was best for her to start with just a random chapter. She opened the novel to its chapter index, closing her eyes. Running her finger down the page, she counted to five and stopped her finger. Opening her eyes, she read the name of the chapter her finger had landed on:

_Chapter 6: Draconis and Elynnceria_

In everything she had ever read about Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, she had only seen one of those names; Elynnceria. She had been a daughter of Gryffindor. But, who was Draconis? More importantly, why was there a whole chapter on these two people? Flipping to the start of the chapter, she read the subtext silently,

_'Their story is no legend. _

_Their truth is heartbreaking._

_Read on, and witness a cruelty,_

_One the world never thought possible from the Lion.'_

Hermione just had to pick a chapter that sounded so damn ominous. Sighing, she shook her head, and soon she began to read. There was no turning back now. She was too damn curious.

Draco had been working tirelessly on reconstructing the Slytherin Dormitories for two months straight. He was quite proud of the work he had completed, seeing as he was doing this entirely on his own. Most of the repairs he could do with magic, but some had to be done by hand. Currently, he was working on repairing some of the stained glass in the boy's washroom. It was a tedious endeavor. He had successfully completed the reconstruction of the girls and boys sleeping quarters, the girls' washroom, and one section of the common room. He had only four smaller taks left to complete; complete repairing the stained glass in the boys' washroom, finish remodeling the common room, insure that the entire Slytherin Dormitories were leak free, and replace the charms on the entire area. On his own, it was going to take him at least another two weeks. He suspected the other Houses would be completed by the end of this week.

Draco sighed, a part of him wishing that he had not refused assistance, though he knew that this was the only way. In order to gain the trust of his peers, he would have to perform good deeds. He thought that restoring the Slytherin Dormitories was a very good start on this endeavor. As he returned to his work on the stained glass, he heard a noise behind him. Draco turned around quickly, his wand at the ready. But he had no reason to be alarmed; it was just Blaise, with a tray of food for him. As Draco lowered his wand, Blaise laughed, setting the tray of food, Draco's dinner, on one of the counters,

"Draco, you have been down here by yourself for a bit too long, mate."

Draco scowled and went back to work on the stained glass as Blaise looked around, surveying the room's progress. Blaise had been bringing his meals to him every day, so that Draco could continue to work without much interruption. Blaise had also been supplying him with many of the materials he had needed for the repairs. He was a good, close friend, and really the only friend Draco had here. After a moment, he decided he needed a break and walked over to his tray of food, grabbing it. As Draco sat down to eat, he asked his friend,

"So, how are the other dorms looking? Any news?"

Blaise shrugged, saying,

"The usual, Draco. Reconstruction is going on schedule. I overheard Weasley saying that Gryffindor should be finished at the end of the week, and I think the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs are going on about the same thing. How are things looking down here? Looks to me as if you're almost finished."

"The sleeping quarters are finished, so is the girls' washroom, and this is the last thing I have to do in here. I have to finish the Common Room, insure the place is leak free, and replace the charms on the entire area."

"You sure you don't want any help, mate? I can stay, you know."

"No, no, no. I can do it, Blaise. Besides, it would be such a tragedy if you were to break a nail or something."

A smirk curved onto his lips before taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. He tried not to laugh at the glare Blaise was giving him, but he couldn't help but chuckle. The two boys had known each other since they were toddlers. To Draco, Blaise was the closest thing to a brother the young man would ever have. It didn't bother him one bit that Blaise was gay. Draco had known this since the end of Second Year. He thought it a bit strange at first, that his best mate liked other blokes, but he came to realize the it really didn't matter. In fact, during one of the summers following Third Year, he had stayed at the Zabini estate for a few weeks while his own parents were on holiday. Unfortunately, Blaise's father was home this summer, and he had somehow found out about his son's orientation. Ashamed and enraged, the man had gone to hit Blaise, and began screaming at him. Draco had stepped in, not wanting his friend to get hurt, and ended up sending a string of curses at the older man. That was when Blaise's father left the Zabini home, never returning. When Draco had arrived at home weeks later, he had earned a good beating from his own father, for associating himself with such people. Despite all of this, Blaise and Draco remained thick as thieves. This was the only occasion Draco would truly defy his father. Blaise was his friend, his only friend, and he wouldn't just drop him. After all of this had occurred, Blaise's mother was forever thankful to him, for being there for her only son. Malfoy just was glad to have one true friend, one that he could trust.

Draco continued to eat and the two of them talked about various things; the state of the Ministry, people they had seen at the castle, Quidditch, and the coming school term. Draco had almost embraced Blaise when he had told him that he was returning to complete his Seventh year as well. The two of them were going to be the only Slytherins in their year returning. The others had turned down the invitations. After another minute or two of talking, Blaise got up, saying,

"Well, Draco, it's getting late, and I am worn out. I was helping out at the Qudditch Pitch today. Rebuilding that thing is much harder than it looks, you know. Right now, my bed at the Hog's Head is calling my name. A House Elf will pop in to get that tray a bit later. Now, you're sure you don't need me to stay and help?"

Draco laughed gently, and said,

"I'm sure, Blaise, really. I can handle this on my own. By this time tomorrow, I'll just have to do an inspection for leaks and the charms...if not, I suspect I will be down here another 2 weeks."

He shrugged, then gave him the thumbs up, grinning, to which Blaise replied with laughter as he turned on his heel and left the room. Draco walked over to the stained glass he was working on. Perhaps, once he was finished in here, he could do the charms and inspect for leaks in the washrooms and sleeping quarters. That would eliminate a whole section of his work. He cracked his knuckles, pulling his mother's wand from his pocket. He had replaced enough of the glass now to cast a reparation charm on the last window. As Draco levitated the window back into its place, he scanned the room, looking for any thing he may have missed. Much of the stone walls were still damp from the lake water. Once the glass was in place, he walked about the room, casting drying charms on the walls. He intended to do this in each room, as well as replacing the rooms' enchantments. He stood in the middle of the room now, holding his wand in the air, as he cast a shielding charm on the walls, to ensure they would never leak again. Then, something strange happened, an explosion occurred, and the room filled with dust.

Draco coughed, waving his arms a bit to clear the air. He squinted as the dust began to settle, looking to see exactly what had happened. The large statue of Salazar Slytherin in the corner, had seemingly shot into million pieces, causing the alcove it stood in to crumble. A simple shielding charm had done this? As Draco walked toward it, he noticed that there was something behind the crumbled alcove. Stepping over the debris, he held his wand out, lighting the tip. What he saw was a door, a very old iron door. Draco blinked. Where did this lead? He placed his hand on the doorknob, and then jerked it back, hissing. It felt like he had been burned. As he massaged his stinging hand, Draco watched words appeared as burn marks on the door.

_'Mountains will crumble and temples will fall, and no man can survive its endless call._

_No physical shape does it hold, but it certainly does take its toll.'_

_Answer this riddle, and you may pass._

_Fail to and the answer will not last._

Draco blinked. This was old magic. It had to be. Only old magic spoke in riddles. He stared at the door for about a minute. In order to open this door, he had to answer the riddle. Should he get it wrong, and he wasn't sure what would occur. He gulped, thinking. What could kill a man, and bring down mountains, yet hold no physical form? Perhaps a clue could be found in the warning. _'The answer will not last.'_ What possession did he have that would not last? His life? No, life could not bring down a mountain or kill a man. But, what could take its toll on his life? His eyes widened, and he smiled. Leaning close to the door, he whispered,

"Time."

The burns on the door changed, revealing another message,

_Your answer has spoken true._

_Enter..._

The door did not swing inward, instead it simply disappeared, and Draco climbed forward, shining his lit wand into the darkness. He was met with a strange sight: stairs. They were winding upwards, as if they were located within a tower. Climbing a bit further, he examined the walls. The stones were dry; the water had not touched this place. From where Draco stood, he could see that the floor and walls of the stairwell were covered in cobwebs. It must have not been touched in centuries. He was not surprised that not a single one of his classmates had happened upon this place before. They were more of a "do things now, ask questions later" kind of lot. No one would have expected to look in that alcove. He wondered how long these stairs had been there, and more importantly...where did they lead?

As he climbed a few more steps, the iron door reappeared, making it much darker. Draco whirled around, thinking he was trapped, but as he reached out for the door, it disappeared again. He let out a sigh of relief. It was like a defense mechanism. Someone inside the stairwell could get out, but no one could get in. He turned back around, wondering if he should investigate this tonight or wait until the morning. Draco already knew that he would end up investigating the stairs tonight, as he was too curious about them to wait until the following day. Pushing aside his goal to finish all the reparations by noon tomorrow, which he didn't expect to complete anyway, he began to climb the stairs, holding his wand out in front of him.

It felt as if he had been walking for hours. These stairs seemed never ending. Draco began to wonder what part of the castle he was in, or if he was still in the castle at all. This set of stairs was not on any map of Hogwarts he had ever laid eyes on. What if these stairs never had an end? What if he was trapped now? He gulped. Those fears were soon quenched when the stairs leveled out into a hallway. He shined the light of his wand down the hall and saw a door to his left as well as one at the end of the hallway. These doors appeared to be pretty normal, made of regular wood. He might as well investigate them both.

Turning to the door on his left, he reached out his hand, opening it. He shined the light of his wand within, making a confused face. This was someone's bedroom. Leaving the door open, he fully entered the room. There was the bed, a closet, and what looked like a vanity. The entire room was caked with dust, including a large set of curtains that covered a whole section of the opposite wall. He smiled. Perhaps it was a window! Maybe now, he could see where he was. Running over to curtains, he pushed them out of the way, tying them with a rope attached to the wall. But, what he found was not a window at all. It was another door, but now he could hear muffled voices. Pressing his ear up to the door, he listened, hoping to catch what they were saying. He heard,

"I don't understand why it took you so damn long to arrange the sleeping quarters, Ronald."

"It wasn't me! Dean and Seamus kept bickering about who was to get the beds by the window. Harry and I have always had those beds. We arranged the room to look exactly as it had before, so why should we change where we have always slept? Besides, they've also got to remember that some of the boys in our year are not returning..."

"Well, have you tried to actually talk about it and make some sort of deal, rather than just argue?"

"No.."

"Ronald, this is exactly why you never get a damn thing done! I swear, you can never do something by yourself."

At this point, Draco backed away from the door. He was in Gryffindor Tower! How in the hell did he get all the way up here? And, who's room was this? Surely, it wasn't used by Head Girls or Head Boys. It was covered in dust. Why was it connected to the dungeons? What purpose did the passage serve? He wrung his hands. Perhaps his answer would be found behind the door at the end of the hallway. He darted back into the hall, heading toward the other door. Would this door be unlocked like the other, or would it hold some sort of riddle? He examined the door for a moment, wondering if he should using a revealing charm on it, but then he thought about how that statue had exploded down in the washroom. Perhaps it was better for him to handle this without magic. He gulped, and grabbed the doorknob with his right hand. As a searing pain went up his arm, he tried to pull his hand away, but found he could not. Scorch marks appeared on the door. They simply said,

_Speak thy name fully._

Draco gritted his teeth at the pain in his hand and arm, but he managed to hiss out,

"Draco Malfoy."

The pain stopped, and he jerked his hand away. Draco realized then that his hand was bleeding. The door must have cut it. He balled his cut hand into a fit to dull the throbbing pain as he read the newly revealed message on the door.

_Your name rings true._

The door creaked open, and Draco peered inside. The room itself was dark. With the help of his lit want, he could barely make out various pieces of furniture; a large cauldron, a fireplace, curtains, a desk, some bookshelves, a cabinet, and another door. For some reason, his wand wasn't providing enough light for him here. The darkness of the room seemed like it was absorbing any light that was exposed to it. He let out a groan as he made out the silhouette of yet another door. Since it was far too dark to inspect the room fully, he decided that he might as well proceed. But as he turned to go through the next door, something caught his eye on the desk. It was a large book. Maybe that would shed some light on who this room belonged to and why it was here. He shined the light of his wand onto the book to read what was there, but not even the light from his wand was enough. There was something in this room causing his wand to behave strangely. He frowned, shoving his wand into his pocket. It would obviously do him no good. He reached his hand to feel around the desk. There had to be some sort of oil lamp or something on it. He was right.

As he turned the knob on the lamp, the cut on his hand brushed against something. As he jerked his hand away, the room suddenly lit up. A fire roared to life in the fireplace, and all the lamps and candles were lit. The contents of the cauldron in the middle of the room began to bubble, as the curtains opened, revealing the night sky. It led to a small balcony. Draco didn't move to investigate anything, though. He was too busy staring at the wand suspended in mid-air in front of him. This wand was not the one he had been using. It was slender, long and white as an ancient willow tree. By the intricate craftsmanship, he could tell it was very old. As he leaned closer, he noticed that blood was on it...his blood. Draco gulped. What was happening? He took a step back, but the wand followed. He took anotherand then another, but the same event occurred. He moved around the room until had his back to the door he had yet to proceed through. Only then did Draco stop moving, reaching for the wand in his pocket, his mother's wand, but he hesitated. The other wand just hung there in the air. It made no move to curse him. There could be no one holding it or controlling it. He blinked. Draco did not notice the door open behind him, and then close slowly. He was too focused on the wand. Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the room,

_"Go on, take it."_

Draco looked around, obviously startled. There was no one here except him. He took a defensive stance, and asked,

"Who goes there? Where are you?"

The voice chuckled, and after a moment answered,

_"I could ask the same of you, boy. Take the wand. You have won its allegiance...take what is yours."_

The lights of the room flickered and it was silent once more. Draco gulped. He didn't normally trust disembodied voices, but he needed a new wand. If he had won this one, why pass up the opportunity? It was time he took a leap of faith. After a moment of thinking, he pocketed his mother's wand, the one he had been using, and grabbed the wand out of the air. His body tensed and he suddenly felt dizzy. Wind seemed to rush through the room, blowing his hair about. He was suddenly reminded of his trip to Ollivander's in his first year at Hogwarts, where he got his first wand. A similar encounter had occurred, but it was not as dramatic. When the room stopped spinning, Draco looked down at the wand in his hand. It seemed that this wand, too, had chose him. But, why? His head suddenly pained him, comparable to a migraine. His eyes snapped shut as his heart began to pound in his ears. He didn't notice the pages of the book on the desk rapidly turning before the book snapped shut. Then suddenly the pain was gone, and he opened his eyes. What he saw made him jump back with a shout, his wand now at the ready and back against the door.

There was a man standing in front of him, his arms folded over his chest. He had a light smirk on his lips. He was tall, had a full head of long white hair, that was tied at the base of his neck. His fierce silver blue eyes stood out in the low light of the room. But, it was not his eyes or his sudden appearance that had caused Draco to shout; it was his face. It was like staring into a mirror, save for the eyes and hair. Their features were remarkably similar, and it scared him. Draco hissed, his newly acquired wand still aimed at his doppelganger,

"Is this some sort of trick? Who in the bloody hell are you? Did a Gryffindor put you up to this? What are you doing here?"

The man blinked, letting out a slight laugh. Walking forward, closer to Draco, he said,

"Now, why would I ever listen to a Gryffindor? Also, there is no need to point that wand at me. Magic can't do much to me now, and...you'll only trash my home if you attempt to shoot any curses or spells at me. I've lived here for...oh the gods only know how long it's been, I lost count after the House Elves forgot I was even here. Now...many of the same questions could be asked of you...what are you doing here and how in the hell did you get into this room?"

"Why should I answer any of your questions? You have yet to answer all of mine."

"Oh, you want my name? Fine, I'll give you my name, since you are so persistent, but you have to tell me how you came to be here, understood?"

Draco nodded, his brow furrowing. This man couldn't be more than a year older than he was. He had no right to talk to him in such a way. Their similarities in features plagued Draco's mind. He needed to know who this man was. Draco said,

"Is it really so shocking that I found this place?"

The man's gaze hardened and stood to his full height, which was maybe an inch taller than Draco. He then continued,

"My name is Draconis la Foi Mal-Slytherin, and the room you are standing in has been my home for the past 800 years."

Draco's face went blank and he blinked. Images flashed through his mind, of their family tree at home. It was the only truly useful thing that Draco's father ever explained to him. In truth, not even Lucius Malfoy knew much about their family's origins. He knew that their ancestors came from somewhere in France, and what their name had been before it became Malfoy.

Malfoy used to be la Foi Mal, and before him stood a man with ties to his family. Save for one thing, this man was a Slytherin, a _true _Slytherin.

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><p><strong>Ooh. Cliffhanger-ish. I bet you all are chomping at the bit for an update. It will come in due time. :)<strong>

**To ease any of your worries or concerns. Draco is NOT related to Slytherin in this story. This will be explained in the next chapter.**

**After that...well...Harry and his situation are introduced.**

**URGENT MESSAGE!:  
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**PLEASE REVIEW. I am dead serious about this. If I do not receive at least 10 to 15 reviews on this chapter, updates will be postponed. [You can give suggestions of what you would like to see happen in the story, your reactions to certain aspects of the current chapter, your general thoughts on the story, etc. Try not to give much of the general " I LOVE IT. blah blah bla." Give me a bit of detail!] I am not asking for much. :D Read on, lovelies.  
><strong>


	5. Revelations and Reconstruction

******Hello all! I apologize for the length of this chapter, and that this update took me so long. I've been busy with various things, as classes start next week at the college. Thank you all SO MUCH for the reviews. Please, keep them coming! Feel free to make them as long as you like, as well as giving suggestions. I like to know what my readers like and want to see happen. [Though I won't guarantee that I will except your suggestions, but they may...inspire me.] I also apologize in advance for the content of this chapter. It may seem a little strange. But, I promise, things will get much better. Please enjoy this chapter. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Revelations and Reconstruction<strong>

Draco didn't know whether to be happy or shocked. It wasn't just he and his mother now. This man was family, and he was still around. It was an immediate comfort to Draco, to know that all was not lost in their family. He was pulled from these thoughts when Draconis laughed, saying,

"Oh, finally, you blinked. I thought you were just going to stand there and stare at me. Is my name so shocking to you? Or is it that I've been stuck here for eight hundred years? I understand why the time span would rattle you, bu-"

Draco interrupted,

"Both are shocking...especially your name."

"Oh? Why is that? Have you heard my name somewhere before? Wait...Don't answer that. Tell me first how you arrived here. Entering the tower is no easy task...there is- "

"A riddle, yes. I answered it. I had been completing repairs on the Slytherin dormitories, and when I attempted a basic shielding charm on the inner walls of the boy's washroom, the alcove in which the passage was located exploded. I found the door, which burned my hand before I answered the riddle. Then, I climbed all those damn stairs, discovered that this place is connected to the Gryffindor Common Room...and then I was here."

"Repairs...what happened to the dormitories?"

"A war has been going on. A dark wizard named Voldemort attacked Hogwarts. The battle ended months ago, but a large portion of the castle was destroyed. Its taking some time to rebuild. Currently, we are working on repairs and reconstructions. I am in charge of completing the reconstruction of the Slytherin dormitories on my own."

"Oh...I see, so that is what shook the walls of this tower those many months ago. This place is so heavily enchanted, not to mention unplottable except to those who already know where it is. It's a wonder that I felt anything going on outside its walls. And...a shielding charm? That's strange, Though, perhaps the enchantment I placed on that door wore off over the years. It was a weaker spell, after all, because the riddle is meant to be changed every week or so. The lingering presence of the old enchantment must have reacted violently with your shielding charm, which resulted in the explosion. And, you say that...you have never heard my name before?"

"No, I have...at least, part of it. But, I am getting to that. When I went to enter this...place...the knob of the door cut me and refused to allow me to pull away. Then, it asked my name...and I gave it. Does that mean something to you?"

Draconis blinked, obviously surprised at these words. He stood there for a moment, thinking. A moment or two later, he let out a small laugh, and walked quickly over to his desk. As he shuffled through the papers, his eyes narrowed. Picking up a specific bit of parchment, he read over it silently. A small smile curved onto his lips. He walked back over to Draco, saying,

_"A curse on you I place this night. _

_That you remain locked forever tight,_

_In this room of memories past,_

_So you in your misery will not last._

_Be not in hope of escape,_

_For there is only once chance you can take._

_Of thine blood, thy name uttered_

_To the door they must have sputtered."_

After he had finished, he began to laugh again, a large, happy grin forming on his face. He snapped his fingers and the room became brighter. He seemed to look at Draco in a criticizing fashion for a moment or so, and then nodded, saying,

"With more light in this room, I can see the family resemblance now. You're related to me...aren't you? What is your name?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, wondering about the "curse" Draconis just uttered. He then nodded slowly at the older man's question and said,

"My name is Draco Malfoy. I recognize the la Foi Mal in your full name..because it is on my family tree back at home."

"..your name is even similar to mine...you're not named after me, surely?"

"I think that is just a coincidence, actually. You see, it became much of a tradition in my mother's side of the family to name the male children after constellations. If she knew anything about..."

Draco trailed off, suddenly remembering something from his childhood; a bedtime story his mother used to tell him when she was able. His eyes grew wide for a moment. After a moment, he asked,

"What you just spoke to me...was that curse placed on you?"

"Yes, it was. And when you opened the door...you broke it. In the curse, it states that only a person of my blood could open that door. The one who cast it thought that to be very clever, since I am adopted."

"I assumed as much with your two last names. What happened to the rest of your family?"

"Well, my twin brother must have lived a full life, otherwise you would not be standing where you are now. So, technically, I must be your great great ad naseum uncle..."

"You had a twin brother..."

"Yes, his name was Fenris. I had a sister, too, But, she went with my mother, back into the forest to be with her kind."

"Her kind?"

"Yes, my mother was a Veela. She fell in love with a French wizard. I know not his first name. She never told us. First, she had Fenris and I. We were happy for a time, and then little Fiona was born. Father left after she was born, and he gave no reason for his departure. My mother could not afford to care for us all, and the Veela would not except a halflings beyond the age of five. We were both eight years old. We were sent to an orphanage. My brother ended up running away from the place, but I stayed. It must have been a year later that Salazar Slytherin adopted me. He was passing through in his travels, when I was running errands for the matron. I was haggling with a merchant to mark down the price of bread, since it was stale. Salazar overheard and took a liking to me. Then came my education here, and I have never left."

Draco was silent for a moment or two, allowing himself to process the information that was just given to him. He had Veela blood in his family? Did anyone even know? He gulped. What did that change? Did it change anything? He shook his head. No, it wouldn't change a thing. He said,

"I find it rather strange that Slytherin would adopt someone. I never thought him so kind."

Draconis raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, going to sit down in one of the chairs by the fire. He said,

"Well, he was strict, opinionated, and serious about his work. He only became so cold hearted when he and Godric Gryffindor began to have drastically differing views. All of his ideas for the school were shot down. Each of the founders wished for the school to be run differently. That's when they stopped teaching, hiring more professors instead as well as a Headmaster. The founders, Gryffindor and my father included, were now sort of figureheads, merely watching over the school."

"Did you go through all seven years of education here?"

"Yes, I did."

"Then why was a curse placed on you, and by whom?"

Draconis didn't answer right away, and Draco was left to his thoughts. He thought again of the story his mother used to tell him as a child; the one of the Slytherin Prince and his tower. He had surmised that, according to the information Draconis had given him, the prince and he were indeed the same person. Though it seemed what had actually happened, hadn't followed the tale his mother used to tell him. Otherwise, this tower would have been empty. Finally, Draconis spoke,

"Why do you ask? You speak as if you are comparing this situation to another."

Draco nodded slowly. He was concerned that what he was about to say would sound rather silly, especially if he was wrong. He cleared his throat, before saying,

"In Slytherin families, there are several legends and tales that parents often tell their children. In two of them, there was a Slytherin Prince. In one of them, he slayed a Griffin, saving a girl from it. In another, he became trapped in a cursed tower after falling in love with a girl he wasn't supposed to. The girl's father -"

"Found out about their relationship, and did not approve. He allowed no explanation. He just ripped the girl from his arms, and cursed him, locking him away in the tower."

"...yes, though in the tale, he is able to break the curse years later and return to his love, who has been waiting for him."

"He never left, because that Prince is me. In my seventh year, I slayed a Griffin, with a good bit of spellwork...from the wand you are holding now. And, the girl I saved...was Gryffindor's daughter, Elynnceria. She was a fourth year at the time. We met at night in various locations around the castle...until my graduation. I returned to the castle as the assistant Potions Professor the following year. It was in that time that we created this tower, connecting it to her room in the Gryffindor dormitories. I stayed in the Slytherin dorms, as there was no office for me, technically. So, I connected the passage to the boy's washroom, as it wasn't suspicious for me to go in there in the middle of the night. We spent our nights there until she was well into her sixth year. That's when Gryffindor found us, and locked me in here. To make things worse, he made Elynnceria bring me my meals while she was still in school. It was her punishment...only she, Gryffindor and a lone house elf that brought me meals after the Gryffindors left Hogwarts could enter this room..."

"And what did Slytherin think about this?"

"Gryffindor made me write a suicide note...but I never thought my father would believe such a thing. They told me when he had left soon afterward."

"So, no one knew you were here?"

"Not a soul outside of Elynnceria and her father. Once a year, Gryffindor would drop by, telling me of what was going on in Elynnceria's life. He did that until his death. I learned to scry with the fire, and kept tabs Elynnceria and tried to find my father. After awhile, I couldn't find either of them, so they must have died. Being half Veela, I lived for quite a long time...until I just fell asleep and didn't wake up. I must have been nearly a hundred.."

"...You're a ghost? You don't look like a ghost..and you picked up that parchment. And, you don't look a day over 30. How?"

"This place is untouched by time. I'd like to think I am a bit more solid here than I would be elsewhere. And, I'm half Veela. We don't age like others do, and I suppose to curse had a little to do with it as well."

Draco frowned. What Godric Gryffindor had done was terrible, and no one knew. Not a soul knew of this cruel curse. They couldn't have, otherwise Gryffindor would not have been revered as much as he had been all these years. A part of him couldn't believe any of this, but another part of him had to. Everything matched up. It all made sense. He let it all sink in as he asked,

"And, this wand...why is it mine now?"

"You are of my blood. In the old days, wands were often passed down from family member to family member. That wand in particular is quite strange. Not a wand in the shop my father took me to would take me. So, the shopkeeper, whose name was Ollivander, took me into one of the backrooms. He explained to me that the wands there had never been touched by any but his own hand. Their composition was...unusual. I myself, being of mixed species, was also unusual. That wand warmed in my hand as soon as a touched it."

"Ollivander's family has been around for a long time. We have an Ollivander's wand shop as well. That's where I got my first wand...before it was snapped."

They were both silent for a moment. Not sure what to say to one another. Draco looked down at the wand in his hand, studying it for a moment. He had so many questions for this man. He could hear the distant bells of a clocktower. It rang ten times. He suddenly exclaimed,

"Shit! It's nearly ten o'clock. I need to get back to the repairs!"

He bolted out the door and raced down the stairs. it took much less time going down than it had traveling up. As he reached the bathroom, he stopped to catch his breath, leaning over a bit, his hands on his knees. He would not be finishing much if he planned on sleeping tonight. He groaned in despair as he looked up at the ceiling. A voice behind him startled him,

"I have never seen this room more clean...aside from the rubble in this corner here. How bad was the damage to this place again?"

Draco turned slowly. Draconis had followed him, and the man looked much more like a ghost now. He was quite transparent. Draco replied,

"It was entirely flooded..I've been working on this for months."

"Well, let's get back to work then. If we do this right, we'll have it done by noon tomorrow."

"Draconis, you're a ghost...how can you possibly help with this?"

"Please, call me Drake. You'd be surprised at the power of ghosts. Now, on to business. You deal with the spell work. I'll handle the labour."

Draconis rolled up his sleeves and vanished. After a moment, Draco could hear movement down in the common room. He smirked, raising his wand. Looks like he would be getting this done ahead of schedule. Blaise was going to be mighty curious about how he managed it. He'd tell him eventually. But, for now, he was going to practice with his new wand. After muttering the final spells on this room, as well as repairing the statue in the alcove, he left to place the enchantments in the other rooms.

He had a feeling that this year was going to end up being very interesting. Very interesting indeed.

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><p><strong>No cliffhangers this time, dears. I do hope you enjoyed this...smaller chapter. But, worry not. The next one will be quite interesting, I assure you. You will be seeing a lot more of Harry, as well as learning what he has been up to recently. You're in for quite a treat, readers. <strong>

**I stand by what I said before...Send me a ton of reviews, and I will work much faster on updating. Remember, I like a good commentary. I want to hear your thoughts. St****ay tuned readers. Our next chapter:**

**_Chapter 6: The Train Encounter_**


	6. Changes and The Train Encounter

**Chapter 6: Changes and The Train Encounter**

The reparations of Hogwarts were completed by the middle of June, and it was announced that the school would be more than ready to take on students that September. The letters had all been sent out early; to both returning and new students. Those who had not been able to complete a year during the war, were asked to return, most of all the students in The Golden Trio's year. It was obvious that Hogwarts was going to be crowed this school term. The larger than normal influx of students would be a big change for the school, but in times like these, change was necessary. After a battle so brutal, surely the school could take on something as harmless as a higher number of students within its walls. With the school completed, the Trio began their "summer vacation," which would last about two months before they would board the Hogwarts Express for the final time.

Ron, Hermione and Harry each reacted differently to the anticipated return to the school that had been their home for so many years. Hermione was immensely glad to be finally completing her education. It had been weighing heavily on her mind since the war ended. When the plan to allow students to return was formally approved, Hermione, in her excitement, purchased all of the books she would need for her courses immediately, even though they would not depart until September 1st. It was typical Hermione behavior; to be over prepared. Underneath that excitement, she was relieved to be returning to a level of normalcy. Hogwarts was something they knew, something that was constant. Yes, Hermione knew that many a thing would be different there, as the War had changed everyone in some way or another, but Hogwarts was home. It was home to all of them. In secret, Hermione was glad to have a better distraction than staying with the Weasleys. She still had not made any progress on locating her parents in Australia. She had refrained from informing Ron or Harry of this, and neither did she plan to. It was not their burden to bear. She would update them when she had a lead, not when she had nothing to go on. Besides, she didn't want them worrying about something that was beyond their control.

Surprisingly enough, Ron was happy to be returning to Hogwarts as well, but it was not out of excitement about completing his education. He was happy to be able to see everyone again, and have a normal life as well. He was not so much excited for classes. Ronald Weasley was not one for doing homework on his own. Everyone knew that. In Ron's own opinion, he was ready to work as an Auror. That profession in particular had been his aspiration since their Third Year at Hogwarts. It was Ron's desire to begin his Auror training as soon as possible. Truthfully, he would rather start his training than finish his education. Ron felt as if the events that transpired during the war had given him enough experience to begin them. Regardless of his part in the war, there were still some courses that he had to complete in order to become a full fledged Auror. Thus, Professor McGonagall had made a special arrangement with the Auror Department at the Ministry. In the mornings, Ron would Floo to the Auror Offices to start his training, and would return to Hogwarts in the afternoons in order to attend the two courses he was required to complete. Molly and Arthur were quite proud of his decision; to still attend school while training. Ron thought Harry would follow suit, as he wanted to become an Auror as well, but when Professor McGonagall offered the arrangement to Harry, he declined. It came as a great surprise to everyone. Hadn't Harry always wanted to be an Auror?

Very few knew that the great Harry Potter was seeing a Psychiatric Healer. Outside of Ron and Hermione, the only people who had knowledge of this fact were the Weasleys and Professor McGonagall. Harry had not even told Ron and Hermione right away. He had been attending sessions for almost a month until he saw it fit to inform his best friends. Harry had a therapy session once a week for about two hours on the day of the appointment. Not one person who knew of it questioned his choice to start seeing a Psychiatric Healer. While the castle had been undergoing repairs, Harry was not often seen. He would come in for a few hours a week and then he would not be seen until later that next week, but it was not because of his appointments. In truth, the young man, with the help of Kreacher, was busy cleaning up Grimmuald Place, as he knew it would be his home after he left Hogwarts. He wanted to make it a comfortable place for him to live.

When Harry was around, Ron and Hermione had noticed that Harry was happier, overall. They had first noticed his slight change in mood on the day Lucius Malfoy's death was announced, even though that probably had nothing to do with it. Harry was far more talkative. He laughed, and smiled more than he had in the months prior. Since Harry had been seeing this Healer, as well as keeping a bit of distance from people for awhile, he had gone from a terrible state of depression and being underweight, to someone who appeared to be the Harry everyone knew and loved, albeit he was a bit more quiet and withdrawn than he had been in the past. But, regardless this was seen as progress. Those who had noticed the drastic change Harry had gone through felt relief in seeing any manner of progress. Though, just when they began to think that Harry was returning to his former self, he proved them wrong. Harry didn't stay at the Weasley's that summer. Instead, he stayed at Grimmuald Place with Kreacher, claiming he was still fixing the place up and would like to finish it as soon as possible. His friends believed every word. What they did not know was that Harry had a secret, one that he had been ignoring, suppressing and denying for years.

Unlike most teens his age, Harry had not been one for dating. It had never really been at the top of his list. He had liked only two girls, really; Ginny and Cho. He had went on a date with the both of them, talked to them, laughed with them, but when it came time to kissing, there had been nothing there. Harry couldn't explain why. The very thought of it had frightened him, so he ignored it. Harry made himself think nothing of it, and he felt awful about it. When he had kissed Cho, he had just blamed it on the fact that he really wasn't that into her, but when he and Ginny kissed yet he still felt nothing, Harry practically panicked. He really cared for Ginny, how could he feel nothing? There was no spark what so ever. He felt awful. Harry couldn't just tell her,

"Oh, sorry Ginny, I don't feel anything when I kiss you. I don't know what's wrong with me."

It would break her heart, but pretending that he did feel something was even worse. In wishful thinking, he remained with Ginny for most of his Sixth Year, hoping and praying that he would feel something, but it never happened. When he finally got up the courage to tell Ginny this, she frowned, looking down at her feet, but after a moment, she looked up and smiled at him. The words that came out of her mouth surprised him,

"I understand, Harry, and...it's okay. I'm okay. Are you okay?"

All Harry could do was nod. He was so relieved. He had told her everything soon after, about how he had felt the same way even with Cho. Ginny seemed to look worried at this, but she comforted him, tried to reassure him. Harry was worried that he would never feel anything for anyone...that he would never be with anyone. In hopes to take a bit of worry off his shoulders, Ginny offered to act as his girlfriend for as long as he needed to figure things out. That way, he would always have someone to confide in. Ginny would never tell a soul, and Harry was forever grateful.

When Harry began seeing Healer Valchrom, he was unsure whether he should mention his plight with women. He wasn't sure if she would be able to help, or give him any sort of solution. Though, in one of their more emotional sessions in which they talked about his parents, Harry let it all slip out. Healer Valchrom had just smiled, and said,

"Harry, I am one hundred percent sure that you are not lacking emotion. You should hear yourself speak. You are one of the most empathetic wizards I know. You have emotions."

Harry had quickly countered, saying,

"Then explain to me why I feel nothing with any girl I have kissed! Can you explain that?"

Harry then continued to recount all the girls he had ever thought beautiful. He told of all of his experiences with girls, which was very limited. He even spoke of Hermione, who was his best friend, like a sister to him. After awhile, Healer Valchrom spoke, she said quietly,

"...Harry, have you ever considered that you are just looking in the wrong _place_?"

"The wrong place? Are you saying that I should try dating a muggle or something?"

"No, Harry...try a little more...different. I'm not talking magic and non-magic here..."

After a moment of thought, Harry's eyes went wide. He stammered,

"No. I can't be...Healer Valchrom. I have never..."

He then shook his head vigorously, never having even considered what she implying, but then again he had never had the time to think along those lines. She was implying that he could possibly...bat for the other team, as it were. He couldn't be gay, could he? Harry began to think more about it. With women he felt nothing...absolutely nothing. Who was he to say that he wasn't? And what if he was? He began denying it, putting it out of his mind. He had heard his Uncle Vernon's views, and how they were treated by the news. Harry's face fell, and more denial came. Seeing his distress, Healer Valchrom spoke again,

"It is more common in the Wizarding Community than you think, Harry. There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. It might be due to your upbringing that you are so disinclined to even put a thought toward it, but look back at your life experiences again, as well as the way you have just reacted to my theory. Then tell me that it is impossible..."

Harry, after sitting in silence with his head in his hands for more than thirty minutes, looked up at Healer Valchrom. He was afraid of this uncharted territory. He asked,

"What am I going to do?"

Harry did not see Healer Valchrom again until the following week. By then, he had thought a lot about what had transpired at their previous session. He was ready to try anything. Harry did not want to be alone for the rest of his life. After expressing this to Healer Valchrom, she handed him a letter. Harry couldn't even ask who it was from before she began to explain,

"I took the liberty of setting you up with an anonymous pen pal. He was placed in circumstances similar to yours, and I think it would benefit you to write to him. He is a former patient of mine and he is getting on just fine in the world. Please, just write him at least one letter. He doesn't know who you are, and you don't have to tell him. I think doing this would do the both of you good."

Harry had sent a reply to that letter nearly 8 months ago, and the two of them have been writing to each other ever since. They knew each other simply as "H" and "B." For the first time, Harry was truly excited to speak to someone, and always disappointed when a letter failed to arrive on time. Speaking to B was nice, Harry had never felt so comfortable with a person. He had never been so honest with someone. B was someone he could tell his troubles to, and confide in. It appeared as if B felt the same way about Harry. They knew so much about one another, but never enough to establish the identity of the other. As September 1st drew nearer, the both of them had made the connection that they had both attended Hogwarts. It was concluded that they should no longer remain anonymous. They decided to meet upon the Hogwarts Express, and Harry had never been so anxious in his entire life.

The first of September was upon them, and it was time for students to head back to Hogwarts. As Harry sat in the train compartment with Ron, Ginny and Hermione, he found himself glancing at his watch every couple of minutes. The train would be underway in less than 5 minutes. Their departure time was 11 a.m. sharp, and it was never delayed. Harry just wanted the train to start moving. The sooner they left, the sooner he could leave this compartment to go to meet B for the very first time. He let out a disgruntled sigh, looking out the window to watch the remainder of students climb onto the train. It was packed this year with so many returning students. Were it not for the existence of magic, Harry would find it strange how so many students fit on one full sized train. He began to tap his feet on the floor, the anxiety returning. Harry was then pulled from his thoughts when Ron clapped him on the shoulder saying,

"Oi, Harry, I asked how your summer was. You kind of spaced out there. We haven't heard from you since like the end of July. You okay, mate? How's Grimmuald looking?"

Harry blinked, looking at Ron for a moment, a surprised look on his face. A slow smile appeared on his face before responding,

"Oh, I'm fine. Just ready to be back there, you know? I'm actually happy to go back to classes. A part of me missed it, I think. And, the place is looking great, Ron, thanks for asking. My summer went well, to tell you the truth. I feel well rested and very ready for this year. I even did a good bit of reading."

Hermione beamed at him, and Ginny giggled at the shocked look on her brother's face. He had obviously not expected a response like that. Ron muttered,

"Oh, please don't turn into a bookworm, mate. I don't want to have to put up with two of those, you know...Hermione's about all I can handle."

Hermione gave Ron a good punch on the arm and they all began to laugh. When they began discussing their plans for the year, the train began to move. Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him before he glanced at his watch again. He and B had not agreed on a specific time or place to meet on the train in their last letter. B had only told him that he would take care of it and not to worry. Harry wasn't entirely sure what he had meant. That was what continued to cause his anxiety. He noticed Ginny giving him an inquiring look. He just shrugged it off, giving her a light smile. He had let her know that he was writing to someone, as he felt she needed to be informed. Ginny was still keeping up the ruse of their relationship. Harry knew they wouldn't be able to keep the ruse going for much longer. After a moment of awkward silence between the four of them, Hermione let out a disgruntled noise. She then said,

"Alright, you three. I cannot keep this a secret any longer. I have known for a month, and I've been dying to tell you."

Ron gave her an odd look, his jaw a bit slack. Ginny laughed, saying,

"You better go on and tell us, Hermione. Ron looks as if he might crack."

After Ron gave his sister an annoyed glare, Hermione spoke again,

"Professor McGonagall has asked me to be Head Girl this year."

None of them were surprised. They knew that Hermione would be the Head Girl during her final year at Hogwarts. There was just no way that anyone could take that place but her. Harry and Ginny gave her their congratulations. They were excited for her. It was what she had always wanted. But Ron had a different question entirely,

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but who is the Head Boy?"

"Well...that's the thing...I don't know. Usually, the Head Boy and Girl are supposed to have a meeting with the other Prefects on the way to Hogwarts. It would be going on right about now, actually. Ron, you remember going to the Prefects' meeting in our Fifth year, don't you?"

"Yeah, it was when we found out who was Head Boy and Girl, as well as meeting all the other Prefects. I remember."

"Well, Professor McGonagall informed me in her letter that the meeting would not take place, due to the amount of passengers on the train. She also stated the Head Boy and Girl were to be introduced at the start of term Feast, which is why I was not supposed to tell anyone."

"So, you have no idea who you will be sharing a dorm with for the entire year.."

"Ronald.."

"Oi, Harry, did you get asked to be Head Boy?"

Harry shook his head. He had received no such letter. But, surely, with the amount of students returning who would be completing their 7th year, it would not be so difficult to narrow down the choices. They were all pulled from their thoughts when a large Barred Owl began to peck on the window. Harry slowly got up, despite the others' odd looks, and cracked the window just enough to grab the letter from its talons. The envelope just had a large letter "H" written on it in fancy lettering. As he sat down, he opened it, reading the note within,

_Car 4, Compartment 5_

_Noon._

_Don't be late._

Harry could not help but smile. He glanced at his watch, it was 11:30 a.m. Harry almost got up and left the compartment just then, but was stopped when Hermione asked,

"So, what was that all about?"

Harry glanced back at her, shoving the note, envelope and all into his pocket. Ginny was staring at him. How was he going to explain this? He sighed, turning to Hermione as he said,

"It's just a note from Professor McGonagall. She's asked me to make a few rounds on the train to greet the new students. I think she wants me to reassure them that Hogwarts is safe and they will not have to worry about a thing. I suppose she wants me to be a role model to them, considering how far I have come since the end of the war."

None of them responded, they just nodded in agreement. I was understandable, considering the identities of the Head Boy and Head Girl were to be kept secret until the feast. Harry gave them a quick smile, assuring them that he would be back later, before he left the compartment. As soon as he was in hallway, he began to walk briskly in the direction of the fourth car on the train. It would take him at least 15 minutes to get there, considering he was in the second car and the fact that students would be everywhere. Twenty minutes later, after pushing his way through large throngs of new First Years, he arrived at Car 4. He glanced at his watch again, noticing that it was nearing Noon. He would be a little early, but it was better than being late. As he walked down the hall toward the Compartment 5, he saw someone quite familiar walking towards him. The familiar face was none other than Draco Malfoy. Normally, Harry would have questioned what he was doing here and why, but he simply did not have the time. Malfoy said nothing to Harry either. All he did was give him a quick nod of acknowledgement before going on his way. Next thing Harry knew, he was standing in front of the door to Compartment 5. Like all the other compartments in the train, the windows were opaque. He could see someone sitting alone, waiting, but Harry could not tell what the person looked like. After taking a deep breath, he opened the compartment door.

All Harry could do was stare, wide eyed and obviously surprised. It reminded him of a look Ginny gave him right before second year; a mix of surprise and sheer terror. For the person waiting within, the expression was mutual.


	7. Nothing Will Change, Will It?

** Hello, readers! Thank you for waiting! I'm trying really hard to update as fast as I can, since I know that all of you are just dying to find out what happens.**

**Well, for this chapter: LONG CHAPTER IS LONG. You all will be getting quite an insight as to what Harry has been going through. I know I gave you all a huge chunk of background in the last chapter, but here's a bit more. **

**I appreciate each and every one of your reviews. [Especially the ones that actually give commentary, opinion, and SUGGESTIONS. Thank you all so much for these.] A good many of you are inquiring as to when the "Dramione action" will be occurring. Well, sorry to burst your proverbial bubbles, but it's going to be a long way off. I am a FIRM believer in natural progression of storyline. That means that no relationship in this story will be rushed. It will happen when it happens. Plain and simple.**

**Keep the reviews coming, please. I like the feedback.**

**DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter is copyright to JK Rowling.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Nothing Will Change, Will It?<strong>

Harry just stood there, eyes wide. The person seated within had on Slytherin robes, and his long black hair was in his face as he read a book. Harry gulped and asked,

"Excuse me...B?"

The other looked up from his book and the same expression wandered onto his face, something akin to a mixture of shock and surprise. It was Blaise Zabini. Harry blinked a few times, confused. Neither of them seemed to want to utter a single word to each other. It was obviously not what they expected. After a few moments of silence, Harry was able to pull himself back to reality, and question,

"...you? I've been writing to you for the past 8 months? H-how is that even possible?...I can't believe this... I've been writing, all this time, to...you."

Blaise, who quickly got up as soon as Harry began to speak, gently pulled him fully into the compartment. He closed the door, locking it. As he sat back down, he said,

"Believe me, Potter...I am just as surprised as you, if not more. I never knew that you were...I can't believe that Harry Potter is -"

Harry interrupted, getting a bit upset by all of this,

"Of course you didn't know! _No one_ knew. I've been running away from this for years. I never even associated my problems with emotion and women to this possibility, and when I started writing to you, it was a leap of faith. I took it, and you were so easy to talk to, so understanding. I told you things, personal things. Now that I know who you are..I just.."

He shook his head, putting his face in his hands as he sat down opposite from Blaise. Blaise sighed,

"I understand how you could be distrusting of me, considering the fact that I am a Slytherin and my best friend is former Death Eater. But, please, everything I shared with you was true, and I would never share anything you told me with anyone, ever. I'm good at keeping secrets. I can keep yours. I'm not like other Slytherins, Potter. Some of us aren't exactly what we seem. Despite the fact that this is totally not what I expected, I don't want the friendship we built over those eight months of writing to suddenly go away just because of some silly notion that all Slytherins are untrustworthy. We're just as loyal as Gryffindors. I hate that we are so stereotyped."

"Do your friends know that you're gay?"

"Yes. Some of my Housemates, but we take care of our own. A good many of them abandoned their friendship with me because of it, mainly girls and the larger part of my friends on the Quidditch team. But, overall, they thought it best that my orientation was swept under the rug. I threw it out there just so they would be informed and I was treated differently after they knew, but it was never spoken of in any ill way. In fact, most of them said nothing of it at all."

"Because of your father, right?"

"Yes, he was ashamed of me and, even after he left my mother and I, I didn't want any of the family friends knowing. So, I told only who needed to be told. I didn't desire my mother becoming isolated from the life she as used to. So, I kept up a ruse in public. You saw how I acted at that lunch Slughorn threw. I'm not like that really. I behave how I am expected to behave in order to survive. I was only able to be myself when other undesirable people were not around."

"You were quiet otherwise. I remember seeing you in a few of my classes. You sat the back of the room all the time, doing all the work on your own. That must have been hard, to be on your own like that."

"Indeed. My experiences are fair warning for you, I suppose. One day, when you decide to let the cat out of the bag, you could ridiculed for it. Especially since you are the Saviour of the Wizarding World. People won't approve...Think of what the Prophet would say, if they knew."

"Probably something like 'The Chosen One Chooses Wizards' or something like that. It would be huge news, that their Saviour is gay."

"Well, Potter, their loss is my gain."

He smirked at Harry, who had looked away, his face going red. Harry, because of their letters, had found that he kind liked this fellow, though he was still figuring out what he felt exactly. Now that they had met in person, Harry found it hard not react to the things Blaise was saying. His head said not to trust him, but his heart was saying otherwise. In his letters, Blaise had been kind and understanding; just the type of person Harry could tell everything. Talking to him now in person was another leap of faith for Harry. Blaise pulled him from his thoughts when he asked,

"The girl you mentioned that you have told everything...is it Ginny?"

Harry nodded, and Blaise continued,

"She must care about you an awful lot to pretend to be your girlfriend so people do not ask questions.."

Harry frowned, sighing as he said,

"Yeah, you know, I never even asked her to do that. She just did. When I told her, she seemed to accept it rather easily, like she had expected it or already knew. How could she know before even I did?"

"Girls are like that, at least, the good ones are. She is a great friend to have, especially now that we are going back to school. You know, I only went to see Healer Valchrom for my family's sake, but...I'm glad that I did. Otherwise, I would have thought that I was the only one."

"I thought the same at first, then she told me it was more common than one would think."

"Oh yes, there are quite a few students who - "

"Wait. You mean to say...at Hogwarts...there are gay students, like...you and...me?"

"Yes, I don't think they would mind me saying a few names. Er, Terry Boot, Ernie MacMillan, Oliver Wood and even Cedric Diggory."

"...Oliver? And Cedric? You're joking..."

"No, the worst thing is...well, Cho had no idea about Cedric. I only knew because...well, birds of a feather flock together."

"Oh."

"But, that doesn't matter, Potter. What matters is -"

"Call me Harry."

"...okay, Harry. What matters is that I'm glad I was able to write you those letters. I'm glad that I was able to build a friendship with someone outside my normal circle. I never really had someone to talk to about everything, or someone who was comfortable listening to everything. So, thanks."

"I should be thanking you. You just let me pour my heart out into those letters, and I didn't even know you. You were understanding and kind, even though you didn't even know my name. It was like talking to a complete stranger. I could never repay you for just listening.."

"Sometimes it's best to talk to someone who really knows nothing about you. That way, they can give an unbiased opinion."

Harry didn't respond, instead keeping his eyes down, his face hidden. Blaise just looked at him for a moment. He had heard through the grapevine that, after the war had ended, Harry Potter had become a bit of a loner. Blaise didn't think that he would be unstable, at least emotionally. Though, he surmised that after all these years of turmoil in his life, that Harry would be an expert at hiding it. It was evident from his shaking hands that Harry was not the young man people thought him to be. Blaise frowned as he saw Harry shudder slightly. It was obvious that, even though he had been seeing Healer Valchrom, it was hard for Harry to say what he really felt. He wasn't used to people actually listening to him, to what he really wanted. Blaise said,

"Harry.. Harry, it's alright.."

Harry shook his head, muttering,

"No, it's not alright. It's never been alright. All these expectations still weigh on my shoulders. People expect me to be a shining beacon of progress or proper behavior to their children because I'm the Hero. I'm the Saviour. But, I just want to be normal for once in my life...I don't want to have to deal with all of this fame. Especially now. I want peace. On the way to this compartment, I was anxious, excited, but I also thought that you wouldn't show...that it was all a ruse... When I first walked in here, I thought that my suspicions were true."

Blaise didn't say anything, he just let him talk. He had gotten up to sit next to him. Harry had probably been holding in these thoughts for months. Blaise wondered if he had even told Healer Valchrom all of this. Harry continued to speak,

"And now, I sit here wondering if this is all for nothing. After all I have been though, all the people I have lost...feeling is a great task for me. All those people died, because of me...friends died because of me. My parents died protecting me. My life meant more than others. I have kept all this from everyone...I feel terrible for lying."

He cut himself off, making a disgruntled noise as he put his face in his hands. Harry wondered why he was even telling Blaise all of this, and it was then that Blaise realized that Harry was crying. He wouldn't stand for that. Blaise wrapped his arm around his shoulders as Harry went to speak again,

"Now I wonder..what if I don't feel anything now? What if I never do? Perhaps I deserve it, maybe this is my punishment..maybe I deserve to be alone. It makes -"

Blaise had closed his eyes. He had hear enough. If he didn't do something, Harry was going to go into hysterics. He muttered,

"Harry. Stop, please."

Harry looked up at Blaise, confused. Stop? Stop what? Had he said too much? Harry didn't even notice that Blaise' s arm was around his shoulders. He said,

"Stop, stop what? What if this is what I deserve? To feel nothing. To be alone. You don't kn -"

What happened next was something Harry did not expect at all. Blaise just pulled him toward him suddenly and kissed him. Harry was so surprised that he had stopped crying. He had tensed up for a moment, but then he relaxed and just let it happen. Blaise pulled away and asked,

"What did you feel then?"

Harry didn't say anything at first, he was too busy staring at Blaise, wide eyed. Did that really just happen? After a silence that seemed to have lasted for eons, Harry asked,

"Why did you do that? What purpose did that serve?"

Blaise gave him an odd look, and then he began to laugh heartily. Harry frowned, and Blaise shook his head, saying,

"Oh, Harry, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at the situation. You were crying. If the rumors were true, I believe that you used a similar tactic on Ms. Cho Chang back in our 5th Year. It worked, didn't it? No more tears?"

Blaise had actually wanted to do that since about a month ago. Now that they had met each other, Blaise found himself in a rather amusing situation. He told no one but, Blaise had always thought Potter was attractive. If someone had told him three years ago that he would find himself in this situation, Blaise would have never believed them. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Harry laugh, saying,

"I guess it did work...though it wasn't something I expected to happen. It was...nice.."

He then shrugged, and Blaise began to laugh again. Harry's brow furrowed as he said,

"Well, that's not very nice. Don't laugh at me."

Blaise managed to calm down enough to speak. He cleared his throat before saying,

"I'm not, I swear. I'm only laughing because I would have felt insulted by that comment, were this any other time. It was just nice? And also, I can only imagine how Weasley would react if he had seen that, or anyone's reaction."

"Oh, Merlin...you are so full of it."

They both began to laugh. This went on for several minutes. The both of them still had so many questions for each other, but they did have the entire year. They sat in silence, just thinking. It was Harry who spoke first. He asked,

"Hey... I'm not bad, am I?"

Blaise smirked, deciding that he could be rather coy with his answer. He said,

"The jury is out on that one, Harry. You may need to petition for a retrial. "

The both of them once again erupted in laughter. Harry hadn't laughed this much in almost a year, and at that very moment he knew that his final year at Hogwarts was going to turn out alright after all, even if he had to keep all of this a secret. He muttered,

"Thanks, Zabini..."

Blaise smiled, and nudged him with his elbow, saying,

"Hey, call me Blaise, alright?"

Harry just smiled, nodding. The two of them then began to talk about various things like their interests and what they thought their courses would be like this year. Time flew by, and Harry realized that they would be arriving at the station in any moment. He had enjoyed Blaise's company so much that he had lost track of time. The both of them had. When Harry had realized what time it was he hopped up, needing to get back to his compartment in order to change into his Gryffindor robes. As he did this, Blaise grabbed him by the wrist stopping him. Harry gave him and odd look before Blaise said,

"Tomorrow morning meet me in front of the Library at 7:30 before breakfast?"

Harry blinked and then smiled, nodding. Blaise let go, and Harry sprinted from the compartment, making it to his own where Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were getting their things together. Harry greeted them quickly, grabbing his things. Ron asked,

"Oi, Harry, where have you been, mate? You haven't even changed."

Harry shook his head, answering,

"I lost track of the time. I've got to change. I'll see all of you in one of the carriages, alright?"

They just let him go. When they were all in a carriage around fifteen minutes later though, Ron had quite a few things to say. Once they were underway, Ron crossed his arms, saying,

"You know, we kind of needed you to help us narrow down the choices for Head Boy.."

Harry frowned and said,

"Oh, sorry, Ron. I just lost track of the time.. Those First Years had a whole lot of questions for me, and I had actually had a good time talking to them. Is there any way I can help now? Were you able to narrow it down at all?"

"Well, we know it's not you. I will only be here like half the time, so I gave up my Prefect duties.. It can't be me. Seamus and Dean were never Prefects. Neville is not returning to Hogwarts."

"Wait. Neville isn't going to be at the school?"

Hermione answered,

"No, Harry, Neville's studying to be a Herbologist. He'll be here though. I think he'll be working with Professor Sprout for awhile. He's been studying at the Ministry all summer and he needed an internship.."

"Oh...I see. Well, at least we'll be able to see him."

Ron spoke again, asking,

"Did you see anyone from our year when you were walking about the train?"

"Er...yes, I ran into Blaise Zabini."

He saw it fit not to mention Malfoy, as it would make Ron angry, and he didn't want an argument between the four of them to break out in this carriage. Ron did not look happy to hear about Blaise. He grunted,

"A Slytherin? Merlin's saggy left -"

Hermione interrupted, saying,

"Oh, Ron, I wouldn't worry too much about Blaise Zabini."

"Oh, why not?"

Harry gulped. What did Hermione know about Blaise? He chimed in,

"Yeah, 'Mione. Do you know something about him that we don't?"

Hermione made a slight face, and then sighed. She said,

"Well, he's the quiet sort and a bit of a loner. He doesn't really hang with the usual Slytherin crowd. Actually, he doesn't hang out with anyone really, at least that I can tell. But, since the beginning of 5th year, there's been this rumor circulating around the school."

"A rumor? What kind of rumor?"

"Well, it really began at the Yule Ball in Fourth Year. Blaise showed up with Astoria Greengrass as his date...but then she just went to dance with someone else, never with Blaise. He just sat there. It was like he had been her ticket to get in, and he really had not wanted to go."

"How would that start a rumor, Hermione? Plenty of other students did that."

"Well, it's not so much as that...but what occurred toward the end of the Ball. After yelling at you, Ron, I went out to sit on the stairs. Some other girls were doing the same, in order to get a bit of fresh air. Well, I was sitting with Hannah and she needed to visit the ladies room. I went with her. On our way there, we heard someone arguing...it was Cedric and Blaise. Blaise was doing most of the talking, and he seemed to be lecturing Cedric on something...neither of them looked very happy. Also, I didn't see either of them return to the Ball after that."

Harry shook his head, looking out the window. He'd have to ask Blaise about that. Hermione wouldn't lie about something like this. Ron asked,

"So the rumor is?"

"That Blaise and Cedric were actually together, and they had both merely used their dates to have an excuse to see each other."

Harry put on his best poker face to hide just how shocked he was. Why hadn't he heard that rumor? Blaise obviously didn't know about it. He only thought that a few of his housemates knew. Harry had to tell him tomorrow, first thing in the morning at their scheduled meet up. He had to know. Harry couldn't believe that this rumor was circulating, and had been for years. He was pulled from his reverie when Ron began to speak. He said,

"That is disgusting. How can a bloke like other blokes? Blimey, it's just not right. I mean, Cedric was a pretty normal guy, but if he actually was gay. Man, just think who else could be gay...this is terrible. I'm glad I'll only be here half days this year."

As Ron spoke, Harry's face fell. He was frowning. Harry knew that Ron was a very opinionated fellow, but he never imagined that it was to this extent. He never knew that he could be so judgmental. He looked away, staring out the window again. Harry then felt a hand on his, giving it a light squeeze. He smiled. It was Ginny. The carriage soon stopped and Harry's heart felt heavy. He could never tell Ron now, not after what he just heard. As they exited the carriage, Ginny whispered in his ear,

"Word travels fast here, you know. Even rumors. Be careful."

He had to agree with Blaise; Ginny was a great friend to have. Harry smiled to her, not letting go of her hand as they made their way to the Great Hall. Once they had all taken their seats, the new batch of First Years arrived to be sorted. Leading them into the Great Hall was Neville, who gave Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny a quick wave as he passed. Hagrid took up the rear, a happy smile on his face. He was quite glad to be back to work, and Harry knew that the boat ride to Hogwarts was the half giant's favourite part of the year. He was the one who introduced the students to Hogwarts. He tried to make it as magical as he possibly could. He winked at Harry and the others as he passed, taking his seat up at the Staff Table when Professor McGonagall stood up to greet the new First Years.

There were a great many of them this year. By the looks of it, there had to be at least fifty of them. Professor McGonagall was all smiles as she made her way to the stool on which the Sorting Hat sat. She nodded to Neville who sat down next to Professor Sprout. The Sorting was to begin soon, but not before the Sorting Hat itself said a few words, like it did every year. After Professor McGonagall unrolled the list of names, she gave the hat a nod and it began to sing.

_'The War is over, our plight hath mended._

_Everyone had thought the world should have ended._

_But, alas, our Chosen Hero prevailed;_

_Died and then lived again to tell the tale._

_Now we all return to this school of learning,_

_Though, take heed, there are new wheels turning._

_Unity has occurred here once before_

_Between the Houses in Ancient Lore._

_Now, these spirits shall rise again,_

_And their present counterparts shall be friends._

_Now, fret not dear new students here, _

_I shall Sort you as I have every year._

_Your fate lies there in your mind,_

_I will give you the answer in due time._

_Maybe you'll find a home in friendly Hufflepuff,_

_Where the students are kind and that's no bluff._

_Or perhaps you belong in clever Ravenclaw,_

_Where wits are your greatest ally, not a flaw._

_And then there is grand old Gryffindor,_

_In which acts of courage are never ignored._

_And last of all is mistreated Slytherin,_

_Where ambition and loyalty will bring you true friends._

_Judge not these houses, new students many,_

_For all have their secrets._

_Some darker than any.'_

The song had caused the entire Great Hall to fall into silence. Even Professor McGonagall was giving the Sorting Hat a look of confusion. What did it mean? Harry, Hermione and Ron all exchanged looks. The Sorting Hat had done this sort of thing before. It was if it was giving the students advice, or warning them. Sometimes, it had been known to give a prediction of the future. This song seemed to fall within all of those categories. The curious silence caused by the Sorting Hat's song did not last for long though, as Professor McGonagall began to call up the new First years to be sorted.

"Alamon, Vincent."

_'Ravenclaw!'_

"Bliden, Clarisse."

_'Gryffindor!'_

"Banora, Roman."

_'Slytherin!'_

"Cisera, Haley."

_'Hufflepuff!'_

Most of the older students only listened the first few minutes before beginning to chat amongst themselves as quietly as possible. The majority of them wished to discuss the Sorting Hat's song, and what it could possibly mean. Hermione wanted to ask Harry and Ron what they thought, but Ron spoke first, saying,

"Hey, look over at the Slytherin table... Look who showed up."

Both Harry and Hermione turned their heads slightly to look over to the Slytherin table. Hermione first noticed that so few Slytherins had returned to Hogwarts, but then her gaze fell upon Malfoy, who was sitting at a distance from the other students. Blaise Zabini sat next to him, muttering something to the blonde Slytherin. She turned back to Ron, who said,

"He's sure got some nerve. It's a pretty stupid thing for him to do, you know. Everyone hates him here.."

Harry commented,

"Blaise must be a good friend of his, if he's sitting next to him."

"Or perhaps Blaise has a thing for Malfoy."

Harry made an odd face, and returned his gaze to the Sorting. Hermione though, retorted,

"Ron, really, stop being so childish. I think it's a rather brave thing for him to do. He's come here knowing that it will be incredibly difficult for him. Malfoy probably wants to just finish his education and move on..."

"I don't see why you're defending him, 'Mione...anyway, I don't like him being here. Not one bit.."

Moments later, the Sorting had been completed. Much to everyone's surprise, Slytherin had gained a large amount of new students, and the Sorting Hat's decision was final. Almost half of the new First Years had been sorted into Slytherin, the rest being dispersed between the other three Houses. As the start of term feast truly began, students immediately started talking about what they thought the year was going to be like, the Sortings, and the Sorting Hat's eerie song. Hermione had glanced over at the Slytherin table, to see how they were reacting to the larger influx of students. They seemed very welcoming to the new First Years, and Hermione also caught Professor Slughorn beaming down at them from the Staff Table. She couldn't help but notice Malfoy, who looked nervous about something. His eyes shifted about the Great Hall, glancing at all the students. Hermione could see people muttering and pointing discreetly in his direction. People had noticed him, and they didn't seem pleased. This was with the exception of Blaise Zabini, who gave Malfoy a good wallop on the arm suddenly, causing Malfoy to laugh. Hermione had never known the two of them to be friends. Something strange was going on at the school, she was sure of it.

It appeared that as soon as the Feast began, it had already ended. Time seemed to pass incredibly quickly at the start of term Feast. Now, all eyes were on Professor McGonagall as she made her way to the podium for the annual "Start of Term Announcements." She placed her wand to her throat, muttering,

"Sonorous."

Everyone became silent. Though the announcements were virtually the same every year, the students always anticipated something exciting to be announced. This year followed an intense war, so there would be many changes at the school, wouldn't there? It was on everyone's mind. Professor McGonagall began to speak,

"As you all know, I am now the Headmistress of Hogwarts."

Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table, whom she smiled at before continuing.

"But that does not mean that the rules will be any different here. The Forbidden Forest remains off limits to everyone. With the exception of the Prefects and your Head Boy and Girl, not a single student is allowed to exit their dormitories after hours. This rule is to be strictly enforced this year. Furthermore, there is to be NO dueling in the corridors. That rule applies to ALL of you."

She seemed to look directly at Ron, whose ears turned pink. After smirking, she continued,

"Also, because of my new position as Headmistress, I can no longer resume my post as the Head of Gryffindor House."

There was a collective groan from the Gryffindor table.

"But, fret not. I will continue to teach Transfiguration to all years. My post as the Head of Gryffindor House will be taken by our new Defense the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Közi von Ehrenberg, who could not be with us this evening. Professon von Ehrenberg is a former student of Hogwarts and has travelled quite far to return here. The majority of you will meet him tomorrow, so I ask that your treat him with the utmost respect when you do."

There was a muttering through the Great Hall. They had all expected a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but why couldn't he make it to the Feast? Who was he, anyway? When they had quieted down a bit, Professor McGonagall spoke again,

"Now, for the most important announcement of the night; your new Head Boy and Girl. Normally, all of you would know their identities by now, as the two would have held a meeting on the train with the Prefects, but due to certain circumstances, I asked the both of them to refrain from holding a meeting or informing their friends of their...new positions."

She paused, glancing around the Great Hall. A flash of worry darted across her features. It was only Hermione who caught it. What was she worried about? But, Hermione had no time to think on that, as their Headmistress began to speak again,

"First, our Head Girl. This young lady is exceptionally intelligent, and has even been called the 'Brightest Witch of her Age,' as she has earned the top marks in her year nearly every term. She is one of the most dedicated students this school has ever seen, and I'm sure that she will be a great role model for our new students. She's always willing to lend a hand, even in the darkest of circumstances. I am proud to present to you, returning 'eighth year' of Hogwarts, Hermione Granger."

The Great Hall seemed to erupt in applause as Hermione rose from her seat. No one would argue with that decision. There was no better person for the job. Hermione walked then to Professor McGonagall, grinning from ear to ear as she had her Head Girl badge pinned on her robes. Turning, she gave the Gryffindor table a big grin and a thumbs up, causing the entire table to hoot and holler. This earned a small glare from Professor McGonagall. Once she had managed to quiet the Gryffindors down, the former Head of Gryffindor House continued,

"Yes, congratulations Ms. Granger. You'll do a wonderful job. Now...for our Head Boy. This young man is someone I am sure that you are all familiar with. He's been butting heads with Ms. Granger here, in more than just grades, since their First Year at Hogwarts.. Before I say anything more, I need all of you to understand that I am a firm believer in second chances.."

There was a strange silence that came across the Great Hall before Professor McGonagall finished her announcement.

"May I present to you, your Head Boy, Draco Malfoy."

Not one student clapped as Draco rose from his seat. Once he was walking toward Professor McGonagall, the Slytherins and Staff began to clap quietly, but the rest of the Hall began to boo and hiss. Hermione's fist clenched at her side as she watched Malfoy walk slowly up to where she and Professor McGonagall stood. She glanced over at Ron and Harry. Ron was furious and Harry held pity in his eyes. When Professor McGonagall had pinned the badge onto Malfoy's robes, someone yelled,

"Death Eaters belong in Azkaban! He doesn't deserve a reward!"

The rest of the students seemed to agree and began to shout and argue. The teachers all exchanged glances, and Professor McGonagall kept a hand on Malfoy's shoulder. Malfoy was scowling at his feet, arms limp at his sides. Various things were being yelled.

"We want Potter to be Head Boy!"

"Weasley would be far more suited!"

Harry had covered his ears to block out the noise. Hermione kept glancing over at Malfoy. Surely, Professor McGonagall had thought this through? What was the meaning of this? Professor McGonagall finally gained control of the angered students,

"All of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Mr. Malfoy's grades alone were enough to earn him this position. My choices for the Head Boy and Girl are final, and all of you will respect the both of them. Have I made myself clear? You are all dismissed. Granger, Malfoy...I'd like a word with the both of you."

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><p><strong>Well, readers? What did you think? Yes, I know it was long. [You're Welcome.]<strong>

**What did you think of Blaise and Harry? What do you think will happen next.**

**Review [PROPERLY] after reading or**** I will not upload in a timely manner.**** {Suggestions are encouraged!}**


	8. New Places and Missing Potters

**NOTE: After reviewing the previous Chapter, as well as my notes, I realized that many of my readers may not be aware of the class scheduling at Hogwarts. I am letting all of you know about this in order for you to get a better perspective of how each day in the story will play out. Please understand that I am making a few slight changes to the schedule that they followed in the books, for a variety of reasons. The basic schedule is as follows:**

**Breakfast: 7:30 -8:45am**

**Morning Classes: 9am - 11:15am [It is not specified in the books as to how long the classes typically are, at least to my knowledge. But, it is known that the first class begins at 9am, and most students are enrolled in two morning classes, unless they have a free period.]**

**Lunch: 11: 30 am - 12:45pm **

**Evening classes: 1pm - 3:30pm [It is not specified how many classes are in the afternoon. But, I have assigned this time for sake of making sure that I actually have enough time for all the class times to work out.]**

**Dinner: 5pm - 6:30pm**

**First Year - Third Year Curfew : 9pm [This is my own designation.]**

**Fourth Year - Seventh Year Curfew : 11pm [Also my own.]**

**Sorry that this chapter has taken so long to update. I've had a lot of work to do at the college. Happy Reading! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to the lovely JK Rowling.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: New Places and Missing Potters<strong>

Once all of the students and staff had left the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall could finally take a breath. Both Hermione and Draco seemed to have the same idea as she. All three of them let out a sort of relieved sigh, as if the worst of it was over. Minerva McGonagall watched as Draco wiped the sweat from his brow. He had kept a brave face that entire time, and she was surprised that he had managed to remain silent though out the whole ordeal. A part of her had expected him to retort immediately in response to the other students' comments, but he had put up the best form of defense; silence. After a pregnant silence between the three of them, she spoke, looking to Draco,

"I must apologize for that, Mr. Malfoy. I had hoped that the students would not react as such, but I apparently expected a bit too much of them."

She had expected the students to be shocked at her decision, but not to revolt as they had. Draco just shook his head, waving his hand at her as if he were dismissing her words. He sighed and said,

" I was prepared for such a display, Professor. Despite my recent good behaviour, they still see me as the boy I was, and that is understandable. It's of no insult to me, really"

Hermione had yet to say a word to either of them. She was too busy wondering how she was going to survive the year. This was not because she would be working closely with Malfoy, but instead because of the arguments she and Ron would be having about this situation. She had seen the look on Ron's face when Professor McGonagall had called out Malfoy's name. He had been livid, and she would be hearing all about it. Hermione was not looking forward to that in the least. She sighed again, before noticing that both Malfoy and Professor McGonagall were looking at her. Hermione gulped, clearing her throat before she smiled slightly, asking,

"Now, what is it that you wished to speak with us about, Professor? Is it about the patrol schedules?"

Professor McGonagall smiled, letting out a slight laugh. It seemed that both Draco and Hermione had much they were thinking about. She could almost hear the wheels turning in their minds. That was something the two of them seemed to have in common; their habit of thinking a bit too much. The Headmistress put a hand on both of their shoulders, saying,

"It would be an understatement to say that this year will be only a wee bit different, wouldn't it? I asked you to stay here not because of the patrol schedules, as those were sent out to all the prefects with their supply lists for the year. Actually, I wish to show you to your new living arrangements for the year."

Both Draco and Hermione's eyes went wide. What on earth was Professor McGonagall talking about? After a beat, Hermione frowned, saying,

"Professor, if you are referring to the Head Dormitory mentioned in _Hogwarts, A History -"_

"Ms. Granger, I know very well that it has been vacant for at least 50 years, as well as the circumstances surrounding its lack of use. While the rest of the castle was undergoing the final refurbishments, I took it upon myself to clean up the Head Dormitory. I assure you that it is pristine condition. I had already chosen the two of you at that point in time, and I felt that it was a wise decision to let the two of you use it."

Professor McGonagall felt that it would be far better for the two of them to have to deal with each other for the entire year, than for Draco to have to deal with housemates who cared nothing for him and Hermione having to deal with an angered Ron Weasley. Her decision would seem a bit strange to Draco and Hermione at first, but they would soon realize her reasoning behind it. At least, the Headmistress hoped so. She smiled to the both of them, saying,

"Follow me, please. When we get there, I will give you the password, as well as inform you on how the place works. I think the both of you will find it quite suitable."

She turned on her heel, walking to one of the side exits of the Great Hall. Draco and Hermione followed close behind, exchanging curious glances about their new Dormitory. They didn't know what to expect from each other, or the new Dormitory. Indeed, this year was going to turn out to be quite eventful.

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron were walking down the stairs toward the main exit of the Great Hall. They had travelled about halfway up to Gryffindor Tower, when Ron decided that they should probably wait for Hermione. Harry had come to prevent Ron from doing something incredibly stupid. In that light, he supposed he was looking out for Hermione as well. As they walked, Ron asked,<p>

"What on earth do you think was McGonagall thinking, Harry? Making Malfoy the Head Boy..."

Harry shrugged, saying,

"Well, Ron, alot of what she said was true. He has been right under Hermione in terms of grades since First Year. I mean, I know he was a complete ass to us...but..."

"Harry, this is Malfoy we're talking about. Power hungry, complete git; MALFOY. He'll be the same as he's always been. You can't change a person like that. You just can't."

Harry frowned. They had been over this before. Harry had defended Malfoy and his mother in their trials, but that didn't mean he suddenly liked Malfoy as a person. Though, he did notice his change in personality and mannerisms. Perhaps he had really begun to notice it because Harry himself had changed alot. He sighed, glancing over at his best friend.

Ron had crossed his arms as he leaned on the railing of the stairs. He had a rather grumpy look on his face, and his eyes were on the large doors, waiting for Hermione to come through them. While they sat in silence, Harry had a bit of time to really think. Suddenly, he recalled something Blaise had said to him on the train. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember exactly what Blaise had said.

_'...my best friend is a former Death Eater.' _

Harry blinked. Was it possible that Blaise had been referring to Malfoy? He also recalled that Blaise had mentioned a best friend in past letters as well. It made sense, but in the past, he had never seen any inclination that they were friends. He wondered if Malfoy knew about Blaise. Harry wished he had looked over at Blaise when Malfoy had been announced as Head Boy, just to see his reaction. Harry shook his head. It was too late for that now. He sighed, feeling sorry for Malfoy. No one deserved such ridicule, especially if they were hated for something they had little control over. Harry was pulled from his thoughts when Ron spoke, but not to him,

"Oi, Zabini, what are you doing, poking around here?"

Harry turned around wide eyed, seeing that Blaise was walking toward them, eyebrow raised. What was he doing here? Harry gulped and said nothing as Blaise gave him a quick glance before responding to Ron's question,

"Oh, come off your high- horse, Weasley. If you're waiting for Granger, you might as well head back to the Gryffindor Tower. I saw her and Malfoy following Professor McGonagall to Merlin only knows where."

"And why were you heading upstairs, Zabini? You're supposed to be in the dungeons with all the other snakes, not heading the other way."

"Oh, like I haven't heard that comeback before, Weasley. Very original. Unlike you, I'm still a Prefect, and I have patrol duty tonight. So, unless you and Potter want to land yourselves in detention on your first day back...I suggest the both of you head on to bed."

"You wouldn't dare, Zabini...Besides, Prefects can't give detentions."

"Wouldn't I, Weasley? Well, Professor McGonagall has asked us to be not be so lenient on rule breakers this year, so she has given us the authority to give out detention slips. She wants to set an example for future generations. I suggest you adhere by it."

Ron scowled and stormed past Blaise, shoving him a bit to the side. Blaise hardly even reacted to Ron's actions, all he did was smirk as he watched him storm off in the direction of the Grand Staircase. He wouldn't normally antagonize another student, but from what he had heard from various other students, Weasley was "getting a bit too big for his britches." Someone other than Granger needed to cut him down to size. After Ron was out of earshot and view, Blaise turned his gaze to Harry, who was still standing there. His cool smirk quickly turned into a kind smile, and he said quietly,

"See you in the morning, Harry."

Harry smiled slightly and opened his mouth to say something to Blaise, but was interrupted when Ron called out from around the corner,

"C'mon, Harry, let's go! We wouldn't want Zabini here to give us detention or something.."

Harry heard Ron snort back a laugh, and he shook his head before giving Blaise a quick nod, whispering,

"Yeah, see you in the morning, Blaise"

Then Harry ran to catch up with Ron. He glanced back once, only to see Blaise smiling as he cast extinguishing charms on the torches in the Entry Hall. Harry wished he could have stayed back to inform Blaise of the rumors about him right then and there, but he came to the realization that doing that would cause Ron to ask questions. Harry didn't want that. It was then he realized just how careful he would be around Ron and others. He wasn't comfortable with people knowing. Speaking to Blaise about the rumors would have to wait until the morning. Harry then let out a sigh, ignoring the weird look Ron was giving him as they climbed the Grand Staircase up to Gryffindor Tower. He had much to think about.

* * *

><p>Draco, Hermione and Professor McGonagall were finally nearing their destination; The Head Dormitory. It was in a portion of the castle that the both of them had been to, but had never really thought much about it. They were in the Fourth Floor corridor beyond the entrance to the library. On their way, they had passed by the Prefect's Bathrooms, which was just outside of the library. Professor McGonagall had just to speak with Nearly Headless Nick, who was already reporting a few students still out of bed. At this time, Hermione examined a rather strange looking tapestry, as Draco became quite curious about an abnormally tall mirror. Hermione suddenly remembered the twins saying something about a secret passageway on this floor a few years back, but she could not recall whether it was behind a tapestry or a mirror. She wondered if Malfoy knew about it. She didn't have time to really examine the tapestry, as Professor McGonagall had begun to walk again and the both of them quickly followed.<p>

When they finally reached the end of the corridor, they found themselves face to face with a large painting of an old mahogany door in a hall of stone. There was no one occupying the painting though, which Hermione found to be quite strange. How were they to get into the Dormitory? What she referred to as "Passage Paintings" always had some sort of password and a person within the painting to hear them. Was the occupant of this one elsewhere? Professor McGonagall then spoke,

"Here we are then...The entrance to your Dormitory for the rest of the year."

Both Draco and Hermione were staring at the large painting. Why had neither of them come across this painting before? They were both frequent library visitors. Their Headmistress chuckled lightly at the focused looks on their faces. She then said with a slight laugh,

"Gaining entrance to your new Dormitory is quite simple. Like your years prior to this, you will need a password, but in order to use that password. You must do this.."

She reached her hand up, knocking three times on the door within the painting. A slot slid open on the door within and all of them could see a pair of eyes staring back at them. A deep voice asked,

"...Password?"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, then said,

"Academia."

The slot closed and the door suddenly became very solid, opening. It was a real door and it's opening revealed the sort of Common Room of their new Dormitory. Professor McGonagall stepped through the doorway, Draco and Hermione following close behind. The door closed behind them silently as they looked about their new "home." The common room itself was hexagonal in shape, and the floors were carpeted. Directly to the right of where they had entered was a fireplace, in which a fire crackled. A clock sat on its mantle, ticking away silently. There was a couch too, built of black leather and not unlike the ones located in the Slytherin Common Room, but it appeared far more comfortable. On the coffee table lay a few old textbooks from years gone by, and Hermione had to resist from browsing through one of them right then and there. The entire left wall was made up of bookcases lined with books, which both Hermione and Draco were quite pleased to see, and on the opposite side was a large, closed curtain, behind which they presumed was a large window. In front of it was a medium sized, circular table with two chairs. The both of them surmised that this was an area in which they could eat, study, or work on homework. Then there were the back three walls of the Common Room. These three walls were each home to a door. After giving them a moment to take in their surroundings, Professor McGonagall spoke,

"The door on the left leads to your room, Mr. Malfoy, and the one on the right leads to yours, Ms. Granger. The middle door is a bathroom which you will both have to share. Though, if you are squeezed for time, the Prefect's Bathrooms are just down the hall. All of your belongings have already been placed within your rooms. The rooms themselves are enchanted to arrange themselves to however you would like them, but please do not get too extravagant."

She paused, realizing that the both of them must be very tired. But there were some rules that she had to explain. After letting what she had said to think sink in, Professor McGonagall spoke again,

"Now, for the rules of this place... This is your home for the year, so treat it as if it were you were living in your own house. Yes, the House Elves will come by to clean up in the early morning hours, but keeping it tidy is advised. You wouldn't want this place to look like a pigsty when you have visitors."

Hermione questioned,

"Visitors? We are allowed visitors in here?"

"Yes, you are allowed to bring guests in. Other than yourselves, a maximum of four people may have access to your password, which you may change at any time."

"Which means that I can invite Harry, Ron and Ginny in here.."

"Yes, unless Mr. Malfoy has more than one friend he'd like to have as a guest.."

Draco shook his head, saying,

"One is ample enough for me, Professor. Blaise will want to give the place a look see as soon as I tell him about it, and since he will be the only '8th year' in our dorm...I imagine that he will be in here quite often."

Professor McGonagall smiled, glad to hear that Draco did have one good friend, and Hermione just stared at him, an odd look on her face. She was attempting to hide her surprise and curiosity. So, Malfoy was friends with Blaise Zabini. Had they always been friends, or was their friendship something that had formed recently? She wondered if Malfoy knew a thing about the rumors concerning Zabini. Because of her naturally curious personality, Hermione wanted to ask him about it immediately, but she knew very well that doing so would not be a smart thing for her to do. It would already be awkward enough, what with the two of them virtually living together for the remainder of the year. If she made an inquiry and was wrong about it, it would only make things worse. Besides, did she really know Malfoy at all? They had met years ago, but Hermione never got to know him truly, for obvious reasons. She wondered if the Draco Malfoy she knew was the real Draco Malfoy, especially after he had saved her from drowning in the dungeons. Regardless, the thought itself was fleeting, but she wouldn't know unless she tried. Could she? With their history together, it would be hard to trust anything he said to be true. Hermione would just have to see how things played out these first few weeks. Then she would decide what to do. Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as Professor McGonagall began to explain more of their rules,

"Now, though you are indeed allowed to have guests over, they are not allowed to spend the night here. No one is, besides the two of you, that is. The rest of the basic 'Common Room Rules' also apply to here as well. I trust that the two of you will follow them. Do we have an understanding?"

Both Hermione and Draco nodded, and Professor McGonagall gave them each a small smile before saying,

"Well, goodnight then, you two."

Their Headmistress left, leaving Hermione and Draco alone in their "living room." There was an awkward silence between them, neither of them knowing what to say. Much to Hermione's surprise, it was Malfoy who spoke up first. He walked over to the fire, and began picking at it with one of the fire pokers, asking,

"So, what do you think of the place, Granger?"

Hermione gave him a quizzical look before answering,

"Well, We are virtually free to do with the place as we so choose. We've been given so much freedom that I am almost unsure of what to do with it all.."

"You? Unsure of something? That must be a first."

"Oh, come off it, Malfoy. I may be brilliant, but I am entitled to some level of...being unsure."

Draco let out a small chuckle. He walked over to the curtains, and opened them, staring out the window into the night sky. Hermione looked at him strangely. Neither of them were used to speaking with each other in a manner that did not include ridicule or taunting. Their conversation in the dungeon had been far more comfortable than this. What was the problem now? As Draco moved away from the curtains and sat down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other, he said rather nonchalantly as he yawned,

"Actually, Granger...I am surprised that you are not concerned about your Weasley boyfriend right now.."

Hermione turned around, eyebrow quirked as she asked,

"Should I be?"

"Well, I suspect he's in a panic right about now... I mean, you will be rooming with me for the entire year, and he can't do a damn thing about it. Furthermore, how in the hell is he going to do all of his homework?"

He smirked and Hermione frowned, but then she bit her lip, trying to hold back a snort of laughter. She failed miserably as she began to laugh, clutching her sides. Draco's amuse smirk turned to confusion. He asked slowly,

"...What's so funny, Granger?"

It took Hermione a moment to stop laughing and register his question in her mind. She shook her head, still giggling slightly as she answered,

"It's just that...you're right, and I can't believe I am admitting it! I finally won't have to deal with Ronald asking me for help with homework every single day! He's going to have to learn to do things for himself from now on. Thank Merlin!"

Draco's mouth was slightly agape. Out of habit, he had said something snide. He hadn't thought that Granger would actually be thankful to get away from Weasley. Draco didn't know whether to be shocked, or pleasantly surprised. After a moment of processing what had just occurred, he smirked. Perhaps getting along with Granger would not be so hard. She, at the very least, had a sense of humor. A few minutes later, the two of them went into their individual bedrooms. Classes began tomorrow at 9 am sharp, and the two of them needed as much sleep as they could get.

* * *

><p>When Ron awoke the next morning, everyone in his Dormitory was already awake and dressing for the day. Had he slept in too late? Glancing over at the clock, he checked the time. It was a few minutes after 7:30am. Ron sat up in his bed, stretching. Looking around, he saw that Seamus was putting on his tie as he sat on the bed to his right. Ron noticed that a class schedule was sitting beside him. They had already received their schedules? When did that happen? Ron got up and began dressing as he asked,<p>

"Oi, Seamus, where did you get your schedule, mate? Did I miss something?"

Seamus looked at him, nodding as he said,

"Mate, you slept through the wake-up alarm.

"We have an actual alarm now?"

"Nah, just for today. Professor von Ehrenberg wanted to make sure that everyone got their schedules on time, so none of us were late for our classes. We got them down in the Common Room about 30 minutes ago. Since you were sleeping like the dead, I just grabbed yours for you. It's on the nightstand."

"Ah, thanks, mate.

As Ron finished dressing, he reached over to his nightstand, grabbin his schedule, and began to read it over. There was a note attached. It read,

_Dear Mr. Weasley,_

_Your Auror Training begins today at 8:30am sharp in the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. You will attend this training every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday morning until around noon, unless otherwise stated by your Instructor. For security reasons, Professor McGonagall cannot lift the Anti-Floo charm from the fireplace in her office. Thus, as I am your new Head of House, the task of getting you to your Auror Training has fallen upon me. My office is located on the Third Floor within the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom. You are to be there no later than 8am every morning of your scheduled training. Please follow these instruction, __explicitly._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor K__ö__zi von Ehrenberg_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and Head of Gryffindor House_

Ron blinked in surprise, glancing at the clock again. He didn't even have time to eat this morning, and wouldn't have time on any of his training days, unless he got up earlier. Grabbing his wand, he looked at the one class he had that afternoon; Potions. Ron let out a disgruntled groan. Why did it have to be Potions? At least he would have Harry and Hermione in that class with him. That would surely improve his mood. As he went to leave the room, Ron noticed something odd. Speaking of his best friend, where was Harry, anyway? He looked over to Seamus, who was just putting on his robes, and asked,

"Hey, Seamus, have you seen Harry this morning?"

Seamus nodded, answering,

"He was already dressed when we all got up to get our schedules. As soon as Professor von Ehrenberg handed his to him, Harry left the Common Room. I'm not sure where he went. He did look in a hurry though.."

Ron made a face. Where did Harry have to be so early in the morning?

* * *

><p>Harry stood with his hands in his robe's pockets as he waited by the door of the Library. He had gotten there with about 6 or 7 minutes to spare, and glad of it, too. He had thought he was going to be late, since many the First Years had stopped him on the way down. It was hard to tell them no, as he really believed that he should be setting a good example for these kids. He was friendly with them, despite his annoyance with the possibility of being late to meet with Blaise. Thankfully, he had made it on time. He glanced at his watch. It had just turned 7:30 am. Most of the students would be eating breakfast at this very moment in the Great Hall. Would Harry even have time for breakfast?<p>

He was pulled from his thoughts when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Harry jumped in surprise, and his hand immediately went to the wand in his pocket. He turned quickly, and sighed, relaxing as he saw who it had tapped him; Blaise, who had crossed his arms and shook his head as he saw a sigh escape from Harry's lips. Blaise said,

"Have you been waiting long, Harry? I'm not late, am I?"

Harry vigorously shook his head, answering,

"No, I just got here. Actually, I was more worried about myself being late...First Years kept stopping me on the way down. They all had hundreds of questions for me...Anyway, what's the plan for this morning?"

"Breakfast."

"Okay, wait..What?"

"Breakfast. I want you to eat breakfast with me, Harry."

"At the Slytherin table? That's...we can't do that!"

"Well, not unless you would like to let everyone know about your little secret, Harry. If so, we can very well at the Slytherin table..."

He gave Harry a lopsided smile. Harry's momentarily shocked face turned to relief, laughing quietly. Bless Blaise and his sarcasm. He had even been sarcastic in his letters, which had made Harry laugh quite a bit. Blaise continued,

Actually, I am very good terms with most of the House Elves who work down in the kitchens. I'm sure that they would love to whip us up something for breakfast. I usually eat down there anyway...I was hoping you'd join me."

Blaise turned giving him a slight smile Harry was silent for a moment, thinking whether or not that was a smart thing to do. Eating breakfast with Blaise sounded nice, but there was a bit of a dilemma. How on earth were they going to get down the kitchens without being seen? Harry sighed and asked,

"Well, I would love to join you, Blaise...but we have to get all the way down to the Kitchens..We're on the fourth floor, and the kitchen is closer to the dungeons. If we're to walk together, that is basically three floors we'll have to go down...won't we be seen? Won't people ask questions?"

"Harry, I'm a Slytherin, honestly, who do you take me for? Despite the fact i never really hung out with Draco's crowd on a daily basis, I know all the tricks of this castle. The time to myself came in real handy. You see that portrait right over there?"

Blaise pointed to a portrait near the doorway leading to the Grand Staircase. This portrait was of a painter at his easel, who was eating from a very large bowl of fruit. Blaise continued explaining as Harry nodded,

"Behind that portrait is a secret passage that leads all of the way down to the Entrance Hall, right by the door to that leads to the entrance to the kitchens. In years prior, I used the passage all the time in order to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts on time. I used it only moments ago to get here. The password is Picasso's Pears."

Harry nodded, silently accepting what Blaise had just told him as he followed him to the portrait. He was no doubt surprised as he never recalled seeing this passage on The Marauder's Map. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Harry had never really needed that passage in particular. Harry wondered how many other passages Blaise knew about. It was said that the castle changed a bit every few years. How much had the castle changed since the time his father and his friends had made the Map? Did the map change with the castle? Harry would have to get a good look at the Marauder's Map tonight when he went to bed.

The passage was one of those that seemed to almost automatically transport someone to their destination. Or, perhaps it was because Harry was following Blaise, who knew the passage well. Their trip took nearly no time at all. When the two of them arrived at the portrait hole to the kitchens, Harry was starving, as he had eaten very little at the feast last night. To Harry's delight, they were greeted by Winky when they entered the kitchens, who seemed very happy to see the both of them. As soon as other House Elves saw the two of them, they set up a table. Harry sat down wordlessly, as Blaise seemed to be ordering their breakfast from one of the cooks. Many of the House Elves were even coming up to Blaise, just to wish him good morning before they proceeded over to Harry to do the same. Harry himself wondered how Blaise had gotten to be so well acquainted with the House Elves. He intended to ask, but he had this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was forgetting something. Something he had to tell Blaise. After a moment, Harry's eyebrows rose as his memory was jogged by Blaise walking back over to him. When Blaise sat down, the Slytherin said,

"Breakfast should be up in a bit, Harry. Er, something up? You look as if something shocked you."

Harry blinked, leaning forward slightly, his hands against the table. He said quickly,

"Blaise, people know."

"What?"

"Students..._know."_

"About...?"

"You."

* * *

><p><strong>SO, did you all enjoy it? I threw in a little Draco and Hermione interaction for all of you. Just to satiate all of you. Once again, I apologize for the lateness of this update. College drains the life out of me sometimes. Do continue to read and REVIEW, as all of your reviews help me in my creative process. I do read all of my reviews, and I pay attention to suggestions, etc. I really do appreciate as much feedback as possible, so<strong> don't be afraid of reviewing<strong> . I won't bite! I promise. :]**


	9. Interesting Conversations

**Sorry that this chapter took so long to upload, readers. I have a lot of work for college on my plate that I have got to finish. Most of which I do not enjoy, like Government class and the article I am working on for Writing for Mass Communications. On top of that, my mind is currently out of ideas for this fic right now. But, don't panic! This is where you come in to help me out. I know exactly where I want to go with this story, as well as certain events that I wish to happen, but as of right now, I am unsure of what to do in between now and then. I need events leading up to it, as well as a time frame. My brain is finding it very hard to come up with something. So, I am taking all of your suggestions! Please feel free to message me about it. I cannot trust my own mind to come up with something right now. Well, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Interesting Conversations<strong>

Blaise stared blankly across the table at Harry. What did he mean that people knew about him? How could they? Not a single Slytherin would dare let that big of a secret slip. His orientation was on a need to know basis, and few people needed to know. Blaise had done nothing to give anyone a single inclination that he was gay. Ever. So, how did others know? Had he slipped up somewhere along the line? Blaise met Harry's eyes, whispering,

"People know? Explain, please..."

Harry looked about the room for a moment, watching the House Elves. He sighed, and quietly replied,

"There are rumors, Blaise. I only just found out that they even existed yesterday on the way into the school..."

"...From who?"

"Hermione, but she didn't start them, Blaise. She would never do a thing like that. I only found out that the rumors even existed because Ron was concerned about Hermione being Head Girl and all. When you were brought up as a possible candidate for Head Boy, Ron blew up with anger. Hermione immediately quelled whatever fears Ron had about the situation by informing us about the rumors surrounding you. Let me explain as to how they came about.."

Harry explained then the story Hermione had told them about the Yule Ball in Fourth Year. Blaise seemed to go very pale as the story went on. Obviously, he had never meant for that exchange between he and Cedric to be seen. Once Harry had finished the tale, Blaise sighed,

"Since the Fourth Year...Merlin...And you had never heard of this rumor prior to Hermione speaking about it?"

"Right. I imagine it must have been something spread throughout the female population of the school. So, if none have forgotten, all of the girls know."

"...I never thought that Hannah Abbott was such a gossip. You're sure that it is just the girls?"

"As far as I know, the only boys who know are Ron, myself and whoever you told. Believe me, if Ron and myself didn't know, then none of the other guys do. I just thought you ought to know about it, since it does involve you."

"Thanks, Harry. That really means a lot to me."

"...just out of curiosity, Blaise, what were you and Cedric arguing about anyway?"

"Oh, that? It was the fact that he was leading Cho on...what with his asking her to the Yule Ball and continually flirting with her and everything. I mean, I know that he didn't want her to know about him. He didn't want anyone to know, but Cho didn't deserve to get her heart broken. No one deserves to have their heart broken like that."

"Believe me...I understand."

That was one of the main reasons that Harry had told Ginny about it all. He didn't want her to get her hopes up for something that wouldn't happen. Despite the things that Ginny knew, Harry had no intention of telling her that the person he had been in contact with for the past 6 months had actually been Blaise Zabini. Well, at least not just yet. There was something else, too. Harry desperately wanted to tell Hermione. She needed to know, deserved to know, as she was like a sister to him. If he was ever confused about anything, Hermione always had answers. But, due to her relationship with Ron and Ron's reaction to the rumors of Blaise's orientation, Harry thought it better to keep quiet about it in regards to Hermione. She would have to wait. Harry had been staring at the table, and only looked up when their food arrived. As the two of them began to eat, Harry asked one final question,

"Who was the first person you told, Blaise? I mean, you had to confide in someone..."

A small smile appeared on Blaise's lips. He laughed quietly, and said,

"I told you that my best friend is a former Death Eater, right?"

"On the train, yeah. I saw you sitting with Malfoy at the Feast so -"

"He was the first person to know about me."

"...you're joking."

"I know, I know. It sounds strange. I realize that Draco hasn't been very kind to you in the past, Harry. Really, he hasn't been kind to anyone...but behind closed doors, Draco's a different bloke. He had his reasons for behaving the way he did."

"He was a cruel, smarmy git.. I have not seen him behave any differently to prove otherwise. Yes, during the war, he failed to indentify me to his Aunt at the Manor, but...after all of those years of being teased and basically...well, in my mind, all I can think is like father like son.."

"No. Hardly. The two of them are nothing alike Harry, listen.. Malfoy said all of those things and behaved in that cruel way because that is what he was told and taught to do to people considered beneath him. It was expected of him. The same way that it was expected of me."

"But you behaved like that to keep your father in the dark in regards to your orientation. That's why you obeyed. What reason did Malfoy have for it?"

"Protection."

"From what?"

"Not what. Who."

"Who then?"

"Lucius."

* * *

><p>Draco Malfoy rolled over in his bed as his alarm charm went off. He groaned; it was his first true day as Head Boy. He then sighed, not looking forward to the glares and whispers he would receive once he got down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Though, he was prepared for it. The year would be hard for him in more ways than one. Firstly, the students would not treat him with fairness. Draco supposed it was karma, after how he had treated his fellow students in the past. Secondly, Draco would have to earn the trust of the students and faculty. If he succeeded on that front, Draco's name would be on the path of clearing, thus he and his mother could begin to live comfortable lives once more. He turned his gaze to the clock on the nightstand and frowned; it was a quarter until 8 am. Draco had just enough time to wash up, get dressed and eat before heading to his first class.<p>

He got up, walking over to the wardrobe to get his clothes for the day. He grabbed a pair of black slacks, white button up shirt, his vest, tie, shoes, and Slytherin robes. He placed his robes and shoes on the bed, and grabbed his wand off the nightstand before exiting his room to get into the bathroom. Draco assumed that Hermione was already down in the Great Hall eating breakfast with Potter and Weasley, but he was surprised to hear her rummaging around in her room. He paid it no mind though, quickly entering the bathroom to take a quick shower. About 15 minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom fully clothed, with the exception of his robes and shoes, as he cast a drying charm on his now shoulder length white blonde hair. He was about to go back into his room when a voice behind him said,

"Our schedules are on the coffee table. Breakfast ends at 8:45. I already went down there and nicked a few muffins..if you want one."

Draco turned around, his sleep pants draped over his arm. Hermione was now sitting on the couch and had turned in her seat to talk to him. She was munching on one of the muffins she had mentioned. Draco raised an eyebrow asking,

"I thought you would be eating breakfast with Potter and Weasley Surely, they are missing you right about now, correct?"'

Hermione shook her head, saying,

"Ron has Auror training in the mornings, so he doesn't have time to sit down and eat breakfast. And...I couldn't find Harry."

"Oh. I see. So, you just brought your breakfast up here then? You really didn't have to bring me anything, you know."

"Well, I just thought that after what happened yesterday in the Great Hall...that you would rather stay away from the students until it's absolutely necessary for you to be around them."

Draco just stared at her. Granger was usually a stickler when it came to rules and doing things right. Hiding from those who are causing him stress is not going to solve any issues. He was Head Boy, after all. Surveying the students and helping them, if he could, were necessary parts of the job. Therefore, he couldn't just ignore them. Draco Malfoy was no coward. He was going to do this right, all of it, but he would have to go about it in a leisurely fashion. If he became too kind too quickly, then they would see him as selfish, only changing his behavior for the sake of clearing his name, but there was more to it than that. Yes, he wished to clear his name, but he wanted to make up for what he had done in the past, however hard that task would be. He already knew that gaining the trust of the students would be difficult, but he had to be careful not to revert back to old behavioral habits as well. Draco behaved one way in public, and another in private. He couldn't suddenly change his personality. He had to ease it out into the open and allow others to adjust to the real him. He blinked. Granger could be sort of a gateway for that. If they were to develop some form of friendship, then many others would follow suit. People looked up to Hermione Granger. He finally replied,

"While that is kind of you to bring me something to eat for breakfast in order to keep me away from those who hate me, I can't just hide from them forever, Granger. I'm Head Boy. I have a job to do., which I am not going to just back out on. It will do me no good to just camp out here when I am not in class. That would make me a vegetable. I do appreciate your concern...Thanks."

Hermione blinked, surprised at his response. Draco Malfoy, wanting to do things the right way? It was unlike him to do such a thing. She knew he was book smart, but for the longest while Hermione had assumed that he lacked common sense. From what had happened to her in the dungeons, she knew that Malfoy really wasn't all that bad. He was still a bit snide, but at least she no longer had the urge to slap him every time he came around the corner. It was a start. She said,

"Erm...You're welcome..."

"So, what are our classes for today?"

"Well, you have assumed correctly that we are in all the same courses..."

"Obviously, we're both technically 'eighth' years here, and the two of us are at the top of our class... Thus it seems only natural that we have -"

"The same courses this semester. Yes. Well, this morning we have Advanced Potions and Advanced Ancient Runes. Then right after lunch we have Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Ah, so we get to meet the new Professor today.."

"Actually, I saw him on the way to the Great Hall earlier. He's...quite the sight."

"...you know, I don't think I want to know what you meant by that..."

Hermione just shrugged and Draco shook his head, glancing at the clock on the mantle. It was a little after 8am now. Hermione saw him glance at the clock and said,

"Well, I'm going to head downstairs...unless you want me to wait for you?"

Draco shook his head, giving her a wave as he returned to his bedroom. When he closed the door behind him, he shut his eyes for a moment, hearing Hermione leave the Common Room. Today was going to be a long day. If he had all of his classes with Granger that meant that Potter and Weasley would be in quite a bit of them as well. He didn't mind Potter as much now, after he had defended he and his mother at their trials. Besides, Draco no longer had any reason to be "a jerk" to Potter these days. He found that the only problematic person would be Weasley. He would be in Potions with them this morning, he imagined. No. That wasn't right. Draco then smiled as he remember that Weasley would be in Auror training in the mornings. That was a relief. Besides, Weasley was in no way smart enough to be enrolled in Advanced Potions. Draco let out another sigh; one more stressful thing off his list. Then he opened his eyes slowly, and nearly yelped in surprise when he saw who was sitting on his bed; Draconis. Draco hissed at the ghostly figure,

"What do you think you are doing, popping up like that? Do you want someone to know that you're here?"

Draconis laughed,

"Oh, of course not. Don't be silly. I didn't scare you, did I? That's what ghost are supposed to do, hm?"

"Very funny, Drake, but you know very well that I do not scare so easily."

When Draconis had been helping him finish the repairs on the Slytherin Dorms, as well as instructing him on how to use his new wand properly, the ghost had requested that Draco was to call him Drake, as it had been a nickname used by his friends while he had still been alive. To Draco, that meant the ghost considered him a friend. They were family, after all. How could a friendship not have bloomed? Regardless, it had taken quite some time for Draco himself to get used to calling someone by such a personal nickname, rather than their given name. Though, he supposed that it was easier, as their names were so similar. As he gathered his books together, Draco asked,

"Wait, how did you even find me? This dormitory is enchanted."

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm a ghost and you're my next of kin. It was not so hard to find you, really. I waited for you to arrive in the Slytherin Dormitory for quite some time. You know, when you didn't show up with the rest of your Housemates, I thought for a moment that you had bailed on coming back to the school, but I could tell that you were in the castle. I could just sense you. Like you said, you were...are...in a location that is enchanted enough that I cannot access it without knowing the location."

"So, in other words, you knew I was in the castle somewhere, but couldn't get to me."

"Right you are! Anyway, I began to listen in on your Housemates after awhile of just waiting around in the Common Room. A group of them were talking about how you were elected Head Boy this year. I remembered you telling me about that, and I put together the pieces from there. This is the only Head Dormitory that I ever had knowledge of."

"It was here when you were still alive?"

"Yes, actually. This part of the castle is really quite old. A friend of mine was this dormitory's first occupant. They applied the Head Boy and Girl idea the year after I had graduated...pity, I think I would of made a good Head Boy."

Draco snorted, highly doubting that, and walked to his bed, sitting down to pull on his shoes and grab his robes. Draconis was family, and it was interesting to have gotten to know him in the way he did. The ghost was very, very intelligent. Before summer break had truly begun, Draconis had given him many the lesson on various useful spells that most would not know. The ghost even sent him back to the Manor with some extremely old Spellbooks. Draco had learned a good bit of magic from them over the summer. He had them with him in his trunk, hoping to have the time to pour over the tomes later. Draconis had been watching him silently. Draco broke that silence, asking as he pulled on his robes,

"Anything else you need to talk to me about?"

Draconis responded,

"Well, there was something I wanted to talk about, but it can wait. You should probably be heading to class right about now, shouldn't you?"

He nodded to the clock, which read nearly half past 8 a.m. Draco cursed under his breath. Draconis gave him a wave and disappeared, fading away to nothing as Draco quickly gathered the things he needed for his classes today before trudging out of his room. He grabbed a muffin off the table in the common room, slinging his bag over his shoulder. If he was late for Potions, by Merlin he was going to figure out a way to resurrect that ghost and then kill him himself.

When he arrived at the Potions room around 20 minutes later, the rest of the students were filing in. He noticed that the class was rather small. He spied that Dean Thomas bloke from Gryffindor sitting next to that Irish kid from the same class. If Draco remembered correctly, the bloke's name was Seamus. He didn't think that he'd see them in here. Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley were sitting at the back of the classroom. Of course, Granger was there, seated at the front. Ernie MacMillan was seated at the middle desk, Terry Boot sitting beside him. Draco made a thoughtful face. If they were here, that meant that Blaise was likely to be in this class as well. When Draco sat down at one of the tables, as if on cue, Blaise walked in with a rather happy look on his face. He sat down next to Draco, giving him a pat on the shoulder as he said,

"Morning, Dray."

Draco frowned,

" Oh, Merlin... don't call me that."

"Hell, mate, was night one with Granger really that bad?"

"No. Your..._friends_ are in here, so I'd rather not have them confused."

Blaise's gaze wandered about the room, his sight falling on Ernie and Terry, who both gave him a smile and a wave. He sighed, looking back to Draco, as he said,

"Don't fret about it, mate. I think you're in the clear."

"Also, what is with that shit-eating grin on your face? Have you been up to something sneaky?"

"What? Oh, no. Just a good morning, that's all."

Draco rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to know what Blaise's idea of a good morning was. He leaned back in his seat slightly, trying to relax. Potter then walked in, looking like he too was in a rather cheerful mood. He sat next to Granger, who immediately began to whisper to him. Draco assumed that she was asking where he had been, as she had been looking for him this morning. Professor Slughorn walked in soon after, humming a happy tune. Why in the hell was everyone so damn happy? Was breakfast down in the Great Hall really that good? Slughorn looked at them, a critical look on his face. He said,

"As much as I like this seating arrangement, it will not do. Working with your friends is no way to prepare a proper potion! You could become distracted. Besides, we're supposed to be promoting inter-house unity! It is times like these that we must work together in every way possible."

The class seemed to groan in protest. They all hated seating arrangements. Slughorn continued, as he conjured up a bowler hat, presumably from his office,

"So, your names are all on bits of paper in this hat here. Whomever's name you draw will be your Potions Partner for the rest of your time here in my class. How about you first, Mr. Potter?"

Harry had been setting out his supplies for the class. He stopped and nodded slowly, getting up to walk to Slughorn. He stuck his hand into the hat, grabbing one the papers within. As he withdrew his hand, Slughorn took the paper from him and raised an eyebrow as he said,

"Zabini. You will be partnering with Potter here for the rest of this term."

Draco gave Blaise a look, wondering how that would work out. Blaise and Potter had never spoken to each other, much less been in many classes together. Blaise in turn shrugged. When Potter gathered his things and walked over to their table, Draco got up, grabbing his satchel from the back of the chair. Potter shrugged, saying amicably,

"Hey, Malfoy. Sorry that I took your partner."

Malfoy shook his head, saying,

"Just luck of the draw, Potter. No apologies necessary. I hope you know what you're doing though. Blaise and Potions don't always agree with one another."

Blaise gave Draco a dark look, which earned a snort from Harry. The rest of the class had gone up and drawn names soon after. The Weasley girl was now paired with Ernie, Terry was paired with Seamus, and Lovegood ended up with Dean Thomas. Draco should have seen this coming. Slughorn spoke then, looking to Hermione,

"Well, how interesting. This pairs you and Mr. Malfoy together, Ms. Granger."

Draco trudged over to the desk at the front of the class, sitting next to Granger. She didn't complain, as she would have in years past. Neither of them did. They regarded their partnership in this class as a mere extension of their working together as Head Boy and Head Girl. The rest of the class, with the exception of Blaise and Harry, seemed a bit bothered by their lack of vocal complaint with the pairing. After a moment, Profressor Slughorn spoke again,

"Now, our lesson for today is for you and your partner to brew a quick, fun potion for me. It should take the remainder of the class for you all to complete this. Please turn to page 203 in your Advanced Potions textbook and brew the Polishing Potion."

Hermione opened her textbook to the page and began reading over the instructions as Draco pulled his own book from his satchel. When he had pulled it out, he smiled, remembering that Draconis had given him a few textbooks that he had in his tower. One of which happened to be an Advanced Potions book, and a very old one at that. Due to the higher difficulty of the potions, the textbook had not been changed much to warrant any reason to purchase the latest edition. When Draco placed his book on the desk, flipping to the correct page, Slughorn walked over, saying,

"My word, Mr. Malfoy. That is an old textbook you have there...where ever did you find it?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at him, answering,

"Thank you, Professor. I found it in the library at the Manor. It was quite convenient, seeing as the text really hasn't changed since then. I imagine that this tome has been in the family for years. It is the right book, isn't it?"

Slughorn gazed at the large book for a moment and then simply nodded, muttering to himself as he walked back to his desk. Draco shrugged it off and read over the ingredients and instructions. Hermione, who had stood up had moments ago to get their supplies, stared at Draco's book as she laid everything out on the large desk. She say the scrawling lines of notes in the margins of the text. It reminded her greatly of the book Harry had acquired in their 6th year. She frowned for a moment. This book was far too old for it to be the same book. Before she could gaze at it any further, Malfoy snapped the book shut and placed it to the side. He gave Hermione an interesting look as he asked her to pass the beetle eyes to him.

The remainder of their day went on as usual. Draco and Hermione went to eat lunch in the Great Hall after their Ancient Runes course, where they gathered up all the prefects and assigned patrol routes for the next two months. They were to patrol in pairs, and Draco and Hermione seemed to have received the most routes to take weekly. No one seemed to care much about what Draco had to say about which areas of the castle should take precedence. Of course, he let whatever people said about him merely slide off him, and was able to enjoy his meal, talking with Blaise all the while. The day had gone well, that is...

Until they got to Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! Please R &amp; R. Same deal as always; no Reviews = No New Chapters.<strong> **You know the drill. :D**


	10. In a Bind

**Hello there Followers! Sorry for the late update on this chapter. I have been very busy with classes and such. That and my mind is starved for ideas for this fic at this point. I know where I want to go with it later on, but it is the in between that really has me...at a brick wall. So, followers, I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE. Please send any and all ideas to me in either a private message or with your review of this chapter. I am dead serious about this, people. **

**Please enjoy the chapter below, and have a lovely day!  
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**DISCLAIMER: I do not own HARRY POTTER.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 10: In a Bind<strong>

When Draco walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the room seemed unfamiliar to him. Were it not for the white staircase leading into the Professor's office, he would have thought that he had walked into the wrong room. The place had been completely refurnished. The desks were not in their usual positions of facing the front of the classroom. Instead, they were all side by side in two long rows on either side of the room. A spacious gap was between the two rows, and long carpet had been placed on the floor there. The room was surprisingly bright, as the new burgundy curtains hanging from each of the windows had yet to be closed. The door to the Professor von Ehrenberg's office was shut, and the teacher was not in the classroom. Thus, it was assumed that the new Professor was in his office. Around the room, many students could be seen investigating the various magical artifacts that were placed about. There were things from all around the world it seemed; fossils, statues, old maps. The other students were staring up at the ceiling with awe, as above them hung a massive glass ball, filled with some sort of swirling mist. Several silver rings rotated around it. Draco spied Blaise sitting at one of the desks on the left side of the room. He gave him a wave, and walked over, placing his satchel beneath the desk as he took his seat. Blaise murmured,

"Man, can you believe that we've got nearly all of our courses with the Gryffindors? They even combined us 'Eighth Years' with the actual Seventh Year classes...it's so weird to be stuck with all of these younger students..."

Draco nodded, replying,

"Well, what did you expect, Blaise? I know it's weird, but if they hadn't, we would only have around 7 or 8 people in our classes, at the most. There are not many of us who actually returned, you know that. Besides, I don't think there is enough time in the day for them to add us to the additonal course list. It was a smart choice on their part."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But...It's just strange not having the others around. What do you think?"

"...I can't say that I disagree with you on that one, Blaise. For a time, they were my...friends. I was accustomed to them. You were, too."

The both of them said nothing more of the subject. Blaise and Draco had gotten so used to the presence of Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and other Slytherins from their year, that it was almost surreal that they were not in class with them at this very moment. Both of them had often wondered how their former housemates were getting along, since neither of them had heard much. Draco seemed to have been the only one brave enough to return to the school. Blaise himself knew that a large part of Draco's future in the Wizarding World was riding on this final year at Hogwarts. For the entire day, he had not heard an unkind word come from Draco's mouth. His behavior today was far closer to the Draco that Blaise had always known; pensive, humorous, and intelligent. At least now in public, he was behaving fairly passively, but it would take much to break the habits he had become accustomed to. Blaise had expected Draco to be landing himself in arguments right and left, but he hadn't. Draco had at least gotten this far today. Blaise only hoped nothing would screw it up.

Then as if on cue, Ron Weasley walked into the classroom, slamming his book bag onto a desk across the room from where Blaise and Draco sat. He began to set out his class materials, trying to make them look nice and neat, which earned a suspicious look from Blaise. Ron Weasley was not a neat person. It dawned on Blaise that he was trying to look good for Granger when she came in. Ron then sat down quietly in his seat, looking expectantly at the door to the hallway. Draco and Blaise shared a glance, and Draco let out a bored sigh, rolling his eyes. He had seen enough of Weasley's over the top displays to impress Granger in the past. It was nothing new, and he was actually surprised Granger had not noticed Weasley's advances before all of this. As if he heard Draco's sigh, Weasley suddenly looked over to them, and he smirked knowingly at Blaise, giving him one of those finger waves. Blaise's eyes narrowed dangerously for a moment, but his gaze softened as he saw Harry walk in. The look he had on his face quickly vanished as Harry sat down next to Weasley. The redhead began conversing with him almost as soon as Harry had sat down. Weasley was making a variety of gestures with his hands, obviously excited about something that had happened today. Blaise scoffed and leaned over, asking Draco in a whisper,

"So, where has Weasley been all day? Skipping class?" He shook his head. "I never thought he was one to do that, with Granger as his girlfriend and all."

Draco answered simply, "No. He is training to become an Auror, and his lessons at the Ministry seem to take up a greater part of his day."

"...What? You have got to be joking, Draco. He's training to become an Auror? Oh, Merlin help us all. We're doomed. And, how did you find this out? "

"I'm not joking, Blaise. Granger informed me of it this morning. I think she only told me since Weasley and I tend to anger each other quite easily. This may be our only class with him, Blaise, so we, at the very least, have that blessing."

Draco gave him a friendly smirk, and Blaise just snorted in response. Moments later, the rest of the class began to file in, Granger being amongst them. Draco and Blaise watched as Weasley's demeanor changed when he saw Granger. He sat up straight, and smiled over to her, waving. Granger returned the smile, but set her things down next to Harry, claiming the seat next to him instead. Weasley seemed to frown, which earned a smirk from Draco. What had Weasley done to annoy her this time? Before he could analyze the situation any further, a sound came from the front of the class room. It was a piece of chalk, writing on one of the small blackboards of its own accord. A note was being left for the students. It read,

_Welcome Students. _

_I regret to inform you that we will not be using our textbooks today._

_Please return them to your bags._

_All you will need for today is your own knowledge, and your wands._

_I will be with you momentarily._

A murmur issued throughout the room as students put their books away, and placed their bags under their desks. All of them had their wands at the ready. What was this new Professor planning? Were they going to start on spells already? Everyone was whispering to themselves, wondering what was going on. Every Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor they had ever had ended up teaching the course a little differently, thus they truly didn't know what to expect. Their murmuring was silenced rather abruptly when an, for lack of a better word, interestingly dressed man walked into the room. He wore high-waisted black trousers, a pair of matching gentleman's boots, and a fine white linen shirt, with elaborate lace frills down the front and at the wrists. His long, curled red-blonde hair was pulled back into a loose tie at his neck. When he reached the middle of the classroom, he looked at all of his students, a light smile on his lips. His bright silver eyes met theirs, and a larger smile made its way onto his lips. He had obviously meant to make an interesting impression. Everyone was staring at the man, whether it be from awe, confusion, or just plain curiosity. Draco leaned over to Blaise, whispering,

"Is that a cravat he's wearing?"

Blaise blanched, and only got out a nod before the man spoke, his voice having a slight, rather implacable accent,

"Well, I am pleasantly surprised that you know what a cravat is, Mr. Malfoy. Though, I shouldn't be, given your family's history of being very well dressed, despite the situations. Now, if I would not receive complaints from others surrounding us, you might have been awarded house points for your comment."

A whisper travelled throughout the room. What in the hell was this man talking about? He then laughed, saying,

"Also, do note that I have exceptional hearing, and any whispering in my class will not be tolerated. I can hear everything you are saying, and I have no qualms with repeating it to the rest of your class, as you have just witnessed."

Draco blinked. He didn't know how to respond to that. It was common knowledge that a cravat was a gentleman's necktie, or at least he thought it was pretty common. He had quite a few at home, in fact. Draco took no offense from the man's comments. As soon as he said, "my class" Draco knew that this had to be their Professor. Well, at least he wasn't boring. The silence of the room was broken when Weasley snorted from the other side of the room, and the bright silver eyes of their Professor turned to look at him without missing a beat. He asked, arms folded about his chest,

"Do you have something to say, Mr. Weasley?"

Ron gulped, shaking his head quickly, earning a smirk from the man before he spoke again,

"Alright, well, I suppose you all are wondering who in the bloody hell I am, aren't you? My name is Professor Közi von Ehrenberg. I am a former student of Hogwarts, and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Any questions?"

People shifted nervously in their seats, obviously unsure of what to think of Professor von Ehrenberg. No one wanted to ask a thing. But Seamus Finnegan broke the silence of the room and asked,

"Bit young for a teacher, aren't you?"

"Now, it is quite rude to go around asking people their ages, Mr. Finnegan. I'm sure that your mother would be absolutely ashamed of you."

The class laughed a bit, earning a big smile from Professor von Ehrenberg, and Seamus sunk down in his chair, a bit embarrassed. Professor von Ehrenberg continued,

"Now, as for our lesson for today... Normally, you would receive some sort of introductory mumbo jumbo going over what we will be discussing this term. Well, while I do have all of your O.W.L. Scores on file, it is not so much an accurate representation of your magical knowledge. I understand that due to some of your experiences in life, some of you may be far more knowledgeable and adept at spells and charms than others in this class would be. Yes, I am talking about the recent War. But I am not trying to weed you out from all the others. Today, I wish you all to show me just how much you can do with that wand of yours. By doing this, I can determine where we need to start in our coursework, and just how much I'll need to cover by the end of the year. To do all this, I am going to pick a partner for you and the two of you will duel. How does that sound?"

He let out an amicable laugh as the students all looked from one to the other, whispering. Professor von Ehrenberg stepped back, pointing his wand at the long carpet he had once been standing on. He whispered something under his breath and the carpet rose from the ground. The floor rose with it, turning the room into a dueling hall. Professor von Ehrenberg climbed the steps up to the platform, the heels of his boots clacking on the wood as he walked. He crossed his arms, saying,

"Now, the normal rules of dueling apply. You may not harm you opponent. All you are allowed to do is knock them off the platform or disarm them. It's quite simple. I will be choosing your opponent. Understood?"

The class gave a collective,

"Yes, sir."

"Now, first two opponents. How about..."

He walked about the room, taking a look at all of the students. It was a hard decision to make. He did not want to pair them unfairly. After walking along the dueling platform for a minute or two, he stopped and called out,

"Mr. Weasley and...Mr. Malfoy. Will the both of you come to the platform?"

A murmur issued throughout the classroom as Draco and Ron rose to their feet and walked to opposite sides of the dueling platform. Ron was smirking, and Draco showed very little emotion in his face. If he were pleased or displeased at Professor von Ehrenberg's choice in dueling partner, then no one could tell. Hermione was biting her lip. This was a disaster waiting to happen. She knew that Ron had quite the temper on him, and everyone knew that he had an unsavory history with Malfoy. She didn't know about Malfoy anymore. Not after his recent behaviour. Across the room, Blaise shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had faith that his closest friend would win the duel, but he was concerned about the damage the two would cause each other. It was common knowledge that Draco knew quite a few nasty curses and hexes. He knew that Ron would as well, being a Weasley and all. Fred and George had probably taught him quite a few interesting spells, he imagined. Blaise had been looking at his hands the entire time, and only looked up to see Harry looking at him from across the room. He looked just as worried as he was. As he glanced over at Granger, he also saw the concern on her face. All of them had the same question on their mind; how far would this duel go before it got ugly?

The room was silent as Draco and Ron got ready for their duel. Professor von Ehrenberg had hopped out of their way, taking a seat atop one of the empty desks. Ron removed his robe, throwing it to the side before calling out,

"Any last words, Malfoy?"

Malfoy on the other hand did not even bother with removing his robes. The duel would end quickly, anyhow. His wand was already pointed at his ginger haired opponent. The blond smiled as his wand seemed to warm in his hand, and looked over to Ron, as if he were actually going to answer that question, but instead he simply shrugged, showing no opinion on the question whatsoever. Ron scowled. He had yet to realize that taunts like that would not work on Malfoy these days. The Slytherin knew better than to become enraged by such childish banter. Professor von Ehrenberg, cleared his throat then, and called out,

"Alright, are the two of you ready then?"

The boy's nodded, not once breaking eye contact. The air in the room seemed to chill with anticipation. They were locked into their dueling stances.

"Three, two...one. Duel!"

Before Draco had much time to think, Ron was throwing an array of offensive spells at him. After dodging a few, he was able to get back on track and began deflecting them with a simple flick of his wand. He needn't say the incantation when he could just think it, and Professor von Ehrenberg had mentioned no rule against wordless magic. Besides, he was supposed to be judging their knowledge. Draco had to show his skills, didn't he? Defeating Weasley would be an added bonus, at the very least. He smirked as Ron suddenly yelled,

"Expelliarmus!"

Before the spell could hit him, Draco ducked and sent a spell flying back to Weasley, yelling,

"Locomotor Mortis!"

Ron's legs locked together and he fell forward suddenly, but he did not lose grip on his wand, which came as quite the surprise to Draco. The entire class let out a laugh when Ron practically fell on his face. By this time, Ron was beginning to get angry. He had yet to land a single hit on Malfoy. He was an Auror in training for Merlin's sake! He should be better at dueling than this! After quickly performing the counter-curse, he rose to his feet, yelling,

"Diffindo!"

Draco's robe's tore in two, landing on the floor. The class erupted in laughter, and Draco was scowling at Ron now, his brow furrowing. The only ones who were not laughing so much were Hermione, Harry and Blaise. They all knew full well of the two of them were capable of. Either of them could seriously harm the other. As Draco kicked his torn robes off the platform, he pointed his wand right at Ron, and said,

"Tarantallegra!"

Ron suddenly began to dance uncontrollably, causing the class to roar with laughter. Ron's face was turning red with rage. He was glaring daggers at Malfoy, who was chuckling to himself, but still cautious. Amidst the dancing, Ron was able to point his wand at Draco, albeit it took some effort to do so, and shoot a string of spells at him. Draco deflected them easily, and the two of them shot spells back and forth at each other for some time. At one point, Draco had caused Ron to fall to the floor of the platform, knocking the wind out of him, but Ron would not go down so easily. Before Draco could knock his wand from his hand, Ron pointed his wand directly at the blond haired Slytherin and yelled,

"NECTO!"

Draco eyes got wide, and his hands went to his neck as if clawing at some invisible rope. He struggled, his eyes locked on Ron's. Ron muttered the counter-curse for the Dancing Spell under his breath. Then he pointed his wand at Draco again, his shoulders rising and falling with his heavy breathing. Draco continued to struggle, still pulling at something on his neck. Draco himself didn't recognize the hex, and therefore couldn't perform a counter charm for it. Ron smirked, stepping closer to Malfoy, who's eyes grew wide. Ron appeared to still keeping up the spell. He really wanted him to drop his wand! But, this Slytherin was never one to give up. Draco was staring at Ron, still trying to get free. He was trying every counter-spell that he had knowledge of. Nothing was working. He could feel some unforeseen rope tightening around his neck. It was then that Draco found that he couldn't breathe. His mouth was open, but he couldn't breathe. Then, he began to panic. He needed help.

Hermione was the first to notice something was very wrong, and she stood in her seat. Malfoy glanced over at her, the panic evident in his eyes. Just as Hermione was about to open her mouth to say something to Professor von Ehrenberg, someone yelled,

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Ron's wand flew from his hand, and he flew back along the platform. Everyone turned to the source of the spell: Blaise. The other Slytherin hopped over his desk, and was now standing in front of Malfoy, wand raised at Ron. Ron picked up his wand and pointed it right back at Blaise. Harry had grabbed Hermione's hand rather tightly. His eyes were wide, and he was staring out at Blaise and Ron. No one knew much about Blaise, really, or the way he dueled. Was Harry scared for Ron safety? Draco was still struggling with whatever curse Ron had put on him, and still could not breathe. Blaise did not move from his spot, his wand still pointed at Ron, who in turn kept is wand raised as well. Professor von Ehrenberg was watching silently. The class gasp when Malfoy rose up into the air as if lifted by some invisible force, his fingers clawing at his neck. His legs kicked at the air. He was trying to get some momentum to break free of whatever was holding him. By now, he was getting blue in the face. Hermione's eyes widened and she yelled,

"Professor, he can't breathe!"

Professor von Ehrenberg looked over to Malfoy, his eyes wide in shock. Leaping onto the platform, he took Ron's wand from his hand and pushed him back, hissing angrily,

"Perform the counter-curse. Now.

Ron shook his head and stammered,

"I d-don't know it, sir. Not even Finite Incantatem works. I've tried everything wordlessly...I d-don't know how to stop it."

Professor von Ehrenberg whirled around, pulling out his wand and shooting every counter-curse he knew at the Slytherin Head Boy. What sort of spell was this? He walked over to Blaise, and said

"You. You're a friend of Mr. Malfoy's. Help me get him to the Hospital Wing as quickly as possible. The rest of you are dismissed...except you Mr. Weasley, please wait for me in my office."

Blaise nodded. They pulled Draco down to the floor, and quickly rushed him out the door. Ron gulped. He was in deep shit now. Once Blaise and Professor von Ehrenberg had gotten Malfoy out of the room, the rest of the class gathered their things, and began to file out of the classroom, talking amongst themselves about what had just happened. Hermione stormed over to Ron, saying,

"What in the hell were you thinking? Using a curse you didn't know the counter-curse for? What sort of spell was that? Where did you learn it?"

Ron replied glumly,

"At training. Some of the boys were telling me about it, and how it was a good spell to use when you're battling against a doe stronger than you. I didn't know that Finite Incantatem wouldn't work...How was I supposed to know that?"

"You didn't think to ask for the counter-curse? If you don't know everything about a spell you shouldn't use it, Ronald! What if you have seriously injured him?"

Harry had walked up, interrupting them as he said quietly,

"Ron...Hermione...I dont think that -"

"Hermione, really, I think Malfoy can take a hit. It really wasn't that bad. He'll be fine. The Malfoys are like cockroaches, you can stomp them till their destroyed, but they still come back."

"You're terrible! First, you hardly help out at your house because you're too busy preparing for Auror training, when you were really just sleeping and doing nothing. Your mother could have used your help. And then you go and bad-mouth Blaise Zabini when you don't even know him. Now, you could have nearly killed the Head Boy, and you're comparing him to a cockroach? Who in the hell are you?"

"Hermione, everything I've said is true! You know it is! I mean, did you see how Blaise just jumped right in front of him? They're probably lovers or something. It's disgusting! Perhaps this is just karma. Malfoy deserves all the terrible treatment he's gotten already, after all that he had done to -"

Hermione didn't wait for him to finish his sentence, instead she slapped hi m quickly across his left cheek. The slap echoed throughout the room. Harry had backed up a few steps, seeing that he should probably stay out of this. Ron's hand went to his cheek, and he was staring wide eyed at his girlfriend. Hermione stormed over to her desk, grabbing her things and shoving them into her bad. Ron called out,

"Hermione, come back! What in the hell was -"

Hermione turned, the anger apparent on her face as she said,

"Don't you dare talk to me, Ronald Weasley. You have had this holier than thou attitude for months, and I cannot stand it. You try to push your opinions on me, and don't even listen to what I have to say...ever. You have no right to treat or speak about anyone like that. Even Malfoy. I don't want to hear from you until you have had an attitude adjustment, is that clear?"

She turned on her heel, running out of the room. Ron and Harry stood alone in the empty classroom, staring at the door.

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><p><strong>Well, on the first day back, Ron and Hermione get into a fight! Will they make up? How long has this fighting been going on? What does Harry think of it? Was Harry more worried for Ron...or for Blaise? Tune in next time...when I may have ideas for this fic! Hahaha.<strong>

**Well, followers, this is your chance to affect a course of a story! Give me your input! Give me your ideas, complaints, and suggestions. Please R&R. Don't be shy!**

**Much love**

**-Rachel  
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	11. The Boy Who Changed

**First off, I'd like to apologize for my extended absence. I had tests, papers, presentations, finals, and a trip all pile up at once. My brain is drained.**

**I know, this chapter is a bit short, and I apologize for that. My mind is fresh out of ideas right now. I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND SUBMISSIONS. ACTUALLY, I AM PRETTY MUCH ASKING FOR THEM. Please! Readers, I would like something to work with.  
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**But, for now, enjoy this chapter.  
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><p>Chapter 11: The Boy Who Changed<p>

Draco had survived the curse, to begin with.

It was only by some miracle that he had done so. He was virtually unscathed, with the exception of some bruising on his neck. Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomphrey had worked every spell they knew to prevent the curse from killing Draco, but nothing seemed to work the way it should. As he lay in one of the cots of the Hospital Wing, unable to breathe or speak, Draco had wondered if he was going to come out of this alive. When he began to pass out from lack of oxygen, he was surprised when his vision suddenly cleared and he could breathe once more. Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomphrey were absolutely flabbergasted. It didn't make a lick of sense. Coughing and massaging his particularly sore neck, Draco looked up at the ceiling of the Hospital Wing, only to find Draconis smirking and waving down at him from one of the rafters. Draco shot him a glare, to which Draconis replied with his immediate disappearance from the room. Why couldn't the ghost have helped him out sooner? Despite the annoyance of a late rescue, Draco thanked Merlin that Draconis was a very powerful ghost. He could do things that many other ghosts could not, which was far beyond Draco's own understanding. Perhaps it was because he was half Veela? Or perhaps it was due to his imprisonment and manner of death? Draconis never really did tell him where his body was. He had only told him that he had laid down to sleep, and he just never woke up. Was his body still in the tower?

The next day, Draco returned to his normal schedule, and the weeks went on as they always had before. Apparently, the curse that hit him had been a precursor to what was now called the Body Bind Jinx. Only this spell in particular had some rather unsavory affects on its target. According to Professor McGonagall, the spell worked like something akin to a Punjab lasso, eventually strangling the victim to death. There was no known counter-curse for it. Hence, Draco was lucky to be alive. As for Ron, the ginger Gryffindor had received a week of detention for the incident. To Draco, that was an being let off easy. He understood the reasons why they had let him off with such a mediocre punishment. Ron apparently had no knowledge of what the curse would do, nor the fact that a simple spell stopping charm would not lift it from a target. But Draco knew in his gut that Ron had every intention of winning that duel, not matter what the cost would have been. At the time, Draco had been winning, and Ron must have decided to use the curse as a last resort. Due to Ron's breaking of the rules laid out by Professor von Ehrenberg for the duel, Draco won by default, so the curse had not done him much good on winning the duel after all. That, in itself, was a small comfort to Draco.

All of the Quidditch tryouts were held at the beginning of October, as the teams needed about a month to prepare for the season, and Draco was disappointed to find that he could not play for the Slytherin team this year. At the Ministry's request, that privilege had been denied to him. People still considered him dangerous, and broomstick was no place for a dangerous man, apparently. From the Head Dormitory, he could view the Quidditch Pitch from the large window in their Common Room area. Ravenclaw had the field on this clear, sunny Tuesday. He watched them fly about. Cho Chang had graduated, along with almost half of their team, so there was a whole slew of students trying out this year. He was supposed to be finishing an essay for Potions, on the history of Apothecaries, but all he wanted to do was go down to the Quidditch pitch and fly around on his broom. He didn't care that it was Ravenclaw was using the field. He wanted to fly. He was pulled from his thoughts when a bit of crumpled parchment hit the side of his face. Blaise had thrown it at him, saying,

"Oi, Draco, what on earth is so interesting out there that you're not rushing to finish this essay and have time to relax this weekend?"

Draco gave him a sideways glance, sighing,

"I'm just pining after something I can't have. Ravenclaw's holding Quidditch tryouts right now and from this window, I have a pretty good view of the Quidditch Pitch. I wish I could be down there flying around on a broom, but the blasted Ministry decided that I pose too much of a danger to be up in the air with the other students. Barking mad, they are. It's not like I would knock anyone off their broom. I'm not an idiot."

"They obviously think that it is well in your capabilities to cause such a ruckus, given your past record. Besides, the Ministry is cracking down on everything these days, Draco. Not only that, but their being paranoid. I mean, they even searched our house. They claimed that they just needed to cover all of their bases. We didn't even have a thing to do with the war. They know that, and yet they still searched."

"Well, Minister Shacklebolt is a fair man and has the potential to be a great Minister of Magic. He's done great thus far, and they have made much progress, but the Wizengamot seems to have other ideas about many of his policies. The lot of them are a bunch of close minded fuddy-duddies. Quidditch would be one of those activities in which I could build friendships and trust with other students, but here they are backing me into a corner. It's like they want me to fail..."

He sighed, looking down at his half-finished essay. There was so much that Draco had to accomplish this year. Blaise cleared his throat, causing Draco to glance over at him, and said quietly,

"Actually, I was...thinking about trying out for the team this year, you know..."

A smile spread across Draco's face. Blaise had always been a great, very fast flier. He was rather adept at Quidditch as well. The two of them used to throw a Quaffle around as boys, especially during the summer. Blaise would make a great Chaser, or even the Seeker, as Blaise was just as fast as him on a broom, if not faster. Draco had never entirely understood why he hadn't tried out for the team prior to this. Draco laughed, replying,

"I recall myself telling you to try out for the team back back in our third year but you adamantly refused. You thought they wouldn't let you on the team, which is utter nonsense. You're a natural when it comes to flying. What made you change your mind?"

"Well, they wouldn't have been too keen on me, Draco. Especially Flint. He was never kind to me, especially after he knew about me. You recall what a blockhead he was, don't you? I mean, as a member of the team I would have had to use the showers. What an argument that would have started between he and I..."

"Flint was about as dumb as a throw rug, Blaise. It wasn't a surprise he got held back a year. I see where you are coming from, I suppose. I mean, we were thirteen. Your position wasn't one many found themselves in, especially at that age. So, you are serious about trying out then? Got a position you are going for?

"Yeah, I'm thinking either Chaser or Seeker... I just need a broom..."

"Ah, you'd do well in either position. As for a broom...well, I brought mine from home at the start of term, since I thought I would be on the team again this year. But...since that privilege has been taken away from me, you are welcome to use it. It's in the wardrobe in my room. Just let me know when you need it for tryouts, and I'll grab it for you. Oh, er...I hope you don't mind using an old Nimbus 2001, though."

"Nah. That's my favourite model. The Firebolts jerk about a bit too much for my taste. Thanks, Draco."

The both of them talked about Quidditch for a few minutes, and then returned to their essays. They hardly noticed that Hermione had walked into the Common Room. She had sat down at the coffee table, and began taking notes on the next potion they would be researching and possibly brewing in Professor Slughorn's class. It was not for another week that this particular assignment would begin, but she had finished the rest of her homework earlier in the week. Hermione supposed that she could be relaxing, but in truth she was attempting to distract herself. She and Ron had not talked much since the accident with Malfoy occurred. There was no ill will between them, as far as she could tell. For the most part, Ron was still Ron. Then Hermione had begun to notice the dark circles under his eyes when he arrived in the one class they had together; Defense Against the Dark Arts. Sometimes he would even forget to shave. More recently, she had smelled Firewhiskey on his breath when he had accidentally bumped into her on the way out of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione understood that while it was legal for him to drink at his age, Hogwarts was not a place for such things. In fact, it was against the rules to consume alcohol on the premises. Hermione was almost upset with Ron for doing such a thing. Of course, she had no solid proof, and they were not really on exact speaking terms, were they?

Hermione sighed, and looked toward the window, seeing Malfoy and Blaise hard at work on their essays. She assumed it was the Potions essay due next week, which she had already finished days ago. The two boys were both very intelligent. She had gathered that much from seeing how they worked in their classes, of which she had all with Malfoy and only two with Blaise. Being Potions partners with Malfoy, she had quickly found out that his skill in Potions was far beyond that of her own. Out of the four potions they had already concocted, he had already known the ingredients and how to make it. It was something Hermione wasn't used to; someone exceeding her own level of skill in a class. Not only that, but she had a different Malfoy to deal with now, which was an issue she had not yet truly addressed. She then glanced at the clock on the mantle. Ron would be arriving in a matter of moments with his Charms work. She had agreed to help him with an assignment, as she was done with her homework for the week. That and she considered it a sign of good will; that they could resume speaking to each other. According to Harry, Ron said that he was often too tired after Auror training to do much homework or even pay much attention in class.

Hermione sat there in silence, only looking up when Ron walked into the Common Room. She had given him the password yesterday at lunch. As he walked to her, Hermione noticed that, Ron looked as if he had just rolled out of bed and simply thrown on some clothes. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie askew. He carried his parchment stuffed Charms textbook under one arm as he sauntered over to the couch. As he sat down next to Hermione, he made a sloppy attempt to smooth down his messy ginger hair, but with little success. Hermione simply gaped at him, obviously appalled at his appearance . She could see over his shoulder that Malfoy and Blaise were glancing over to see what was going on. Blaise had both his eyebrows raised. Malfoy's brow was furrowed. The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched. This was embarrassing. As Ron opened his Charms book, Hermone asked quietly,

"Ron, please don't tell me you just woke up..."

Ron looked at her, the black circles now evident underneath his eyes. He frowned, rolling his eyes before slurring a response,

"Come on, Hermione, it's the weekend. Give me a break. I'm allowed to sleep in on a Saturday, aren't I? Training this week took a lot of out me. Why can't you just tell me the answers?"

"Training or no, you can't become an Auror unless you pass these two classes. From what I heard from Dean and Seamus, you lot have an entire Charms assignment due on Tuesday. You could have woken up a little earlier and gotten a good start on it before coming here. I'm not going to do your homework for you anymore. You know that."

"Merlin, I don't ask for much, 'Mione. Why can't you just help me out like a good girlfriend should, huh?"

"...excuse me? Last I checked, the two of us were not on speak -"

"Just help me out, 'Mione...It's not like I'm going to actually use much of this material in the field anyway."

Hermione just stared at him, while Ron laughed, thinking that it was all good and fun. He had leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms across the back of it. As he let out a yawn, Hermione could smell the Firewhiskey immediately. She blinked, standing up, and she whispered,

"You're drunk...aren't you?"

Ron snorted and said, rather loudly,

"So what if I am? At least I know how to have fun! Auror training has taught me much more than just how to detain wizard criminals, y' know. I know **all** of the secret passages out of this castle. Harry doesn't even have these on that blasted map. I've gone out with the boys at least once a week since training began. They are good friends for me to have, especially since you and Harry have been so busy with whatever you two are doing. Some friends you are. You're supposed to be my girlfriend, all you do is work, work, work. And Harry, who's supposed to be my best friend, has been all secretive. He's left in the middle of the night and come back later than me a few times! And he thinks I don't notice.."

Ron scoffed, slowly rising to his feet as he stretched. Hermione could only gape. They had never made up. It had been over a month since their little spat after the duel between he had and Draco. He still thought of her as his girlfriend? Well, now that she saw that he hadn't even made the effort to correct his ways or apologize, Hermione didn't know if she wanted to be around Ron anymore. She gulped, Ron was staring now, as if expecting some reply, but what did he expect her to say? Did he expect her to apologize for something she shouldn't feel sorry for? Absolutely not. Hermione pressed her lips together into a thin line, gathering her thoughts. Ron spoke again,

"So, come on, 'Mione. Be a good girlfriend and help me out? What do you say?"

Hermione answered simply,

"I think you should leave."

"Excuse me?"

"I think you should leave. Last I checked, we were not exactly on proper speaking terms. You never apologized for your stunt in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Then out of the blue, you asked me for help on, and I only agreed because I thought you had already done most of it. I was wrong. On top of that, you come in here drunk. So, I'm not going to help you. Do it yourself."

"...wh-what?"

"I'm not going to help you this time, Ron."

That didn't seem to properly register in Ron's mind. Hermione had always helped him in the past. Why wasn't she going to help him now? Just because he was off participating in more adult activities such as drinking? Because he didn't apologize? Ron snorted, before responding with an rough whisper, glancing over toward Malfoy and Zabini,

"Now, you're being childish, 'Mione. Here I am...out training my ass off to protect the future of our world and you won't even help me a bit? Some girlfriend you are."

Hermione replied, her voice hardly above a whisper now,

"I'm not your girlfriend."

"...what did you just say?"

"I said I'm not your girlfriend...I...I think you need to leave."

Ron clenched his fists and his face began to turn red. Hermione just stood her ground. He took one step forward, his eyes wild. Ron was truly angry. He yelled, finally losing his temper,

"Leave? Oh no, I am NOT leaving - "

Before he could even finish his statement, Malfoy interrupted him, shouting over to him from the table at which he sat,

"Oi! Weasley! We're trying to finish a essay here! Either keep your voice down, or get the hell out of our Common Room! Your unnecessary drama is not welcomed here..."

The blonde Slytherin had heard every word of what they had been saying, and from the look on Blaise's face, he could tell that the other Slytherin had as well. Blaise was trying to keep a straight face, of course. The situation was not the least bit funny, as Weasley was being very unkind to Granger. He was also making a fool of himself, as his behavior was absolutely childish. Ron scowled and then retorted,

"Oh, shut the hell up, ferret.. This is none of your business! This between me and 'Mione. So, why don't you and your _boyfriend_ go study in the other room, hm? That way you could get away from my 'unnecessary drama.' Besides, I'd like to talk to Hermione alone..."

Draco said not a word as Ron smirked at him, as if daring him to strike back. The blonde saw that Blaise' eyebrows had risen almost as far up into his hairline, and was soon glaring daggers at Ron. The raven haired Slytherin did not want Weasley throwing anything about his sexuality around, especially thinking that he and the blonde were together. He glanced at Draco, who was now shaking his head, trying not to laugh. Weasley really was clueless. The blonde responded calmly, looking Ron square in the eye,

"Oh, Weasley, you made it my business when you decided to start an argument with Granger here in the middle of the Head Common Room, where we are trying to work on our homework. Now, I believe I heard her tell you to leave, Weasley, and I, frankly, agree with her. Or, of course, we can just as easily kick you out of here, and I'm certainly not afraid to take up such a task."

Ron glared daggers at the blonde, but he backed off, obviously not wanting to get into trouble so soon after he had before, especially if it involved the same person. He hissed out,

"..._fine_. I'll leave."

With that being said, Ron rather noisily gathered up his things and trudged out of the Head Dormitory, muttering angrily to himself as he did. Draco then let out a sigh of relief, massaging his temples. Hermione was staring at him, mouth agape, as she was speechless at the act of chivalry he had just done for her. It was Blaise who broke the silence. He said, with a slight laugh,

"Did either of you just get that feeling of deja vu? Because I'm sure that I did."

Draco gave him a sideways glance, and Blaise just held his hands up in unaccountability. The raven haired Slytherin always tried to make awkward situations more amicable. The blonde rolled his eyes and gave him a nod to the door, practically telling him that it would be better if he left. Blaise nodded rather disappointedly, gathering up his books, and saying,

"Er, see you in Potions class then, Granger."

And then he was gone before Hermione could even get out a reply to the raven haired Slytherin, leaving her and Malfoy alone in their Common Room. The silence between them was almost unbearable. Finally after a few moments, Hermione cleared her throat, breaking that pregnant silence and saying,

"You know, that's pretty much the second time this year you've saved my hide this year. I..I'm sorry...that you had to get involved with all of that, really. It was something should have seen coming...but thank you for helping to get him out of here...it's much appreciated, Malfoy."

Malfoy let out a sigh and sat next to her on the couch, nodding silently, before saying,

"Ah, you're welcome. He was being a downright a prat, you know. If I hadn't of told him to clear off, Blaise would have ended up clawing his eyes out.."

"Er, yes, I do apologize for those remarks he made about the two of you. "

"He really doesn't know when to stop, does he?"

"You know, if what just happened with Ron occurred a few years ago, the roles would have been reversed. Instead, it would have been-"

"It would have been Ron telling me off for being a prat, instead of the other way around, naturally"

"...yes...then again I never would have expected you to come to my defense. Things have changed. The war, your trial, your time in Azkaban, and just life since then took its toll on you, correct? You had to change in order to live in this new world. Things are different now. You couldn't just go around insult-"

"Of course, I cannot go around insulting people as I had in years past. That would be foolish of me. Indeed, times have changed. Things are different now. You said it yourself."

"Well, obviously, yes. But..that is the second time this year that you have come to my aid. I didn't even ask. Why?"

"Granger, it's not that si-"

"Why, Malfoy? You have never shown me any kindness before, nor have I given you any reason to show me kindness in turn. So why help me now? There has to be a reason."

"Has the thought ever crossed your mind, even for just one moment...that underneath everything, I was a normal person? That I wasn't the bad guy?"

Hermione gave him an odd look, studying the look on his face. Her immediate thought was that he was indeed lying to her, but there was much evidence against that claim. She was silent for a moment or two, before she licked her lips in thought. The logical part of her mind was telling her not to believe a word he said, but her conscience had another thing in mind. The Malfoy she had know would have let her drown. He would have attacked Ron with more than just a glare for what he had done to him in class. Moreover, Malfoy she had known would have laughed at her situation with Ron. But this Malfoy had saved her, did not seek retaliation against Ron, and told Ron off for his childish behavior. She asked quietly,

"Then why did you behave as you did , Malfoy?"

"Granger, I want you to understand something. I'm part of an old Pureblood family, and I was raised to think that all others were beneath me because of my heritage."

"But, it's wrong to think that way."

"Yes, I knew it was wrong. But that was what I was taught. I played the obedient son and behaved according to what I was taught as a child. It was expected of me. That behavior was the proper behavior of a Pureblood child. I did as I was told, even though my conscience told me otherwise."

"And you kept it up for all these years. And what did that behavior accomplish? What good did it do you? It certainly gained you very few friends..."

"Well, my mother and I are alive, aren't we? That's certainly something."

Before Granger could even respond to him, Malfoy suddenly got up, walking over to the table by the window to gather his things. Hermione watched him silently. They were done talking, obviously, and Malfoy said not another word to her as he walked to his room, closing the door shut behind him. After a moment, Hermione smiled to herself. Two random acts of kindness from a young man that she thought would never be capable of such a thing. From that moment on, Hermione knew for sure that there was more to Malfoy than met the eye. Now, she regarded the blonde Slytherin in a new light. No longer was he the Boy Who Made All the Wrong Choices. Instead, he became The Boy Who Changed.

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><p><strong>OOOOHH~ DRAMA. Where shall that lead? Hermione's opinion of Draco has changed quite a bit, and their friendship is indeed growing. This is where I expect things to pick up a bit, once I get some ideas. See, my problem, readers, is that I have ideas for later, and much later...but nothing for now. So, it would be AWESOME, if you were to leave a suggestion or submission in your Review after reading this.<strong>

**NoteL I enjoy reading Reviews as long as they are USEFUL to me. While I am fine with you lot telling me how awesome a chapter was, I do want criticism, feedback, your thoughts, and SUGGESTIONS. As well as, questions, comments, and concerns. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?  
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**Leave your response in a review! Thanks. Happy Reading!  
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	12. Off the Beaten Path

**Author's Note: First off, I would like to thank all of my readers for being so patient with me. I know that this is technically a re-upload that I promised you lot months ago, but college has been a killer for me these last two months. You all are wonderful people. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but it sure would be awesome if I did.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Off the Beaten Path<strong>

The following week, Blaise was very happy to announce that he had been given the position of Seeker on this year's Slytherin Quidditch team. Madame Hooch had overseen the tryouts, as the team was currently without a standing Captain. It was obvious that the Slytherin team was going to have a bit of trouble this year even with someone as talented as Blaise flying for them. This was due to the fact that the entire team, save for Draco and Keeper Jamie Bloor, had failed to return to Hogwarts this year because of their families' unsavory involvement in the war. This loss of older, more experienced fliers was a hard blow on the team. Despite the large influx of students coming into their House, it was slim pickings in regards to students with a knack for flying. Draco would not be flying this year, for obvious reasons. Thus, the returning player on the team was Jamie Bloor. Having held the position of Keeper for two years in a row, he knew exactly what he was doing on the field and was able to explain things to the newcomers. From the way he took control of the tryouts, Blaise had assumed that Bloor would be made Captain. But Blaise didn't know how wrong he was.

A day or so later, Blaise received quite the surprise. In the middle of their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Blaise was pulled from a very interesting lecture on cursed tombs by Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall. They led him into an empty classroom down the hall, saying that they had something of dire importance to discuss with him. From the looks on their faces, he thought for a moment that he was in trouble somehow, or the two Professors had somehow found out about Harry. Much to his surprise, they had come to give him other news. It seemed that Jamie Bloor had turned down the offer of being Slytherin's team Captain when Professor Slughorn had spoken to him about it earlier this morning. Apparently, Bloor already "…had enough on his plate with all of his classes, and the responsibility of being Captain would not bode well on his studies." Thus, Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall were here to offer the position to Blaise. For a few seconds, Blaise had just gaped at them, obviously surprised at this development. But then another thought entered his mind; Harry was Captain of the Gryffindor team. The two of them would really have to compete against each other. It was then that Blaise burst out in laughter, earning him some odd looks from the two Professors before him. He quickly regained his composure, agreeing that he would take up the position.

Once that was sorted out, it was up to Blaise, with the help of Jamie and the off-the-record advice of Draco, to hold another tryout and pick out the core members of the team. Those who made it onto the team were a mix of Fourth and Fifth Years, who had never really stood a chance in tryouts during years prior to this. The Beaters were two Fourth Year boys named Landon Klavier and Stanley Corsica. Their Chasers were Fifth Years Fiona Gillard, Carlton Tailage and Loryn Harkers. With an entirely new team, the Slytherins had much to work on, and the Quidditch season would begin when November rolled around.

While Blaise seemed to have made much progress in his endeavors concerning Quidditch, Draco was making minuscule progress his goal of getting the students to respect him as Head Boy, or making a better name for himself among his peers. He had broken up several fights, and come to the aid of many First Years, who were primarily Slytherins. The Professors seemed to view him differently, at the very least. No longer did they suspect Draco of any incidents concerning the bullying of other students, and for that, Draco was thankful. Regardless of the minute successes he had, the majority of the student population wouldn't even look at him, or hear a word he had to say. Not even some of the Prefects would pay much attention to him, which was very inconvenient considering the fact that he was the one who gave them their patrol routes every week. What would he have to do to prove himself to these people? Draco knew that it would take time to earn trust, and they had only just entered the month of October. Thus far, only the Slytherins seemed to listen to him, especially their First Years. Well, it was a start, to say the least

Draco did have one person who seemed to believe he had changed, or she was at least on the verge of believing so. That person was Hermione Granger. Lately, they saw quite a lot of each other outside of class. As Draco had immediately noticed, Hermione seemed to be spending less and less time in Gryffindor Tower, and more in the Head Common Room. At the end of the day, the two of them would sit at the table by the window and do whatever homework they had yet to finish. Sometimes, they worked in silence. Other times they talked about lessons, sorting out patrols, or just general happenings around the school. The two of them had been quite a bit more sociable with each other since Draco told Ron off. Was the sort of bond he and Hermione forming friendship? Not quite. For the time being, they considered themselves colleagues; mere acquaintances. After so many years of fighting, it was difficult to think of someone as a possible friend, though, not impossible. Draco realized from the very moment they had learned of their positions that having Hermione as a friend would definitely help to improve his image. Any other person would say that that was incentive enough to become her friend. But that would be selfish, and Draco was not selfish. Not anymore. He actually wanted friends this time around.

Now, what exactly had Ronald Weasley been up to? After Hermione had broken up with him, Ron had begun ignoring her completely. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, he would not even sit near her. He also stayed quite clear of a certain blonde Slytherin. Actually, was hardly seen at the school anymore, with the exception of attending his Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. More often than not, he was at Auror Training, or as Draco surmised, sneaking off at night to go to the Hog's Head and drink Firewhiskey with his fellow Aurors Trainees When he wasn't in class, training, or sneaking off, Ron usually hung around his best and seemingly only friend: Harry. But even then, Harry seemed to have other things on his mind, and Ron was starting to notice, though he had yet to pay too much attention to Harry's change in behavior. He just assumed his friend was still getting used to being back at school.

So, what about Mr. Potter? He didn't like that he, Ron and Hermione had been pulled apart by a mere break-up, especially after all they had been through over the years. He hoped the situation would resolve itself, as Hermione and Ron always had at least one big fight every year. This year's had come a bit early. At least, Harry hoped that was the case. Because of this situation, Harry had to make sure he spent time with both of his friends, as well as having time for himself. Most of the time, Harry could be found wandering the grounds on his own. Other than that, he could be seen with Ron. When Ron was elsewhere or merely busy with other things, Harry would come into the Head Common Room to work on Potions homework with Hermione, since he was terrible at it, and Blaise, who was his Potions partner, was not much better. Naturally, he would ask Hermione for help.

On the rare occasion that Hermione was not in the Common Room when Harry dropped by, Harry didn't know what to expect. At first, the messy haired Gryffindor had just sat there, waiting for her to get back. But upon the third time doing this, Malfoy became agitated with Harry's bored sighing and offered to help him with his Potions assignments. Harry had been taken aback by the offer, and was just as surprised as Hermione had been when he came to realize just how adept the blonde Slytherin was at Potions. Because of these little homework sessions and Harry wanting to be on good terms with Malfoy for Blaise's sake, the two became relatively amicable with each other on a daily basis. Of course, Harry would never do so in front of Ron, for the sake of their friendship. Harry, who had been reassured by Blaise that Malfoy was very misunderstood, was no longer distrusting of the blonde Slytherin. He could tell by the other's work and quiet attitude that Malfoy actually wanted to be here. Though a part of him was curious as to how Malfoy would act on a personal level without the influence of his father and the constant presence of Crabbe and Goyle, Harry did not pry. It was better left alone.

Amongst all of this, Draco was receiving nightly private lessons in all manner of subjects from Draconis. These lessons were completed in secrecy, since no one was supposed to know of the ghost's existence, if one could call it that. Draco had been getting these secret lessons since he had sprung his ghostly ancestor from his imprisonment in that hidden tower at the beginning of summer. Of course, once the school had closed for the remainder of the holiday, Draco had been forced to research the ancient magic on his own. Now why was he learning all this ancient magic? To be absolutely truthful, he was just very curious about how magic had evolved over the years, and whether or not some old spells could still be useful in the world. He also wished to learn all the old rare potions that people never used anymore, but still had the potential to be expanded upon. Draco hoped that Draconis could teach him these things, as the ghost already seemed intelligent far beyond his time. When Draco did not have his night lessons, he read the books Draconis had allowed him to take from the tower whenever he had time between class, homework and patrols. They were mostly old Spellbooks and tomes on ancient and complicated potions, one of which he actually used as his textbook in his Advanced Potions class.

Before they knew it, the Halloween Feast was upon them, which meant the Quidditch Season would begin very soon. Everyone was excited to see the new players, as well as enjoy watching the old ones do what they did best. Despite the Sorting Hat's strange song at the beginning of the year, this year at Hogwarts was shaping up to be a quiet one. In lieu of years past, no one said this out loud, not wanting to jinx it. But then again, no one knew all the secrets that were currently being kept this year. It was better that they didn't.

Harry and Blaise had been, for lack of a better phrase, involved with each other since the start of term. They would meet down in the kitchens for an early breakfast nearly every day of the week, and then bolt to the Great Hall and grab some toast with their friends, blaming their lateness on homework or studying in the library. The kitchens were a casual, stress free environment. The House Elves seemed to enjoy their presence, and provided them with whatever they asked. But after weeks of this, the two realized that they enjoyed each other's company so much that they had taken to sneaking around after curfew to spend more time together. Of course, the Invisibility Cloak and Blaise's position as a Prefect made the situation far more manageable than it would have been otherwise. After a few narrow escapes from Mrs. Norris, the two had worked out this little routine, and after the Halloween feast would be their first time attempting it. The plan was as follows:

Blaise would receive a new patrol assignment from Malfoy at the beginning of every week. As he was the eldest Prefect, Blaise would have to patrol two different floors for about an hour each from around 10pm to midnight every evening. After he finished this patrol, he and Harry would meet. While in their Advanced Potions class on Tuesdays, the two would pick a classroom in which they could meet based on the floors Blaise would be given. Trying to keep things simple, both Harry and Blaise decided that meeting twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, would be ideal, any more would lead to a lack of sleep that could count as suspicious to their friends. They hoped that their plan proved to be successful, so they could continue to use it.

At 15 minutes to midnight on October 31st, Harry was sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower, safely hidden beneath his Invisibility Cloak with the Marauder's Map in hand. Tonight he and Blaise were meeting in Classroom 3B, on the Third Floor corridor. The Halloween Feast had ended hours ago, and the only people still out and about were the Prefects. Harry knew that he would have no trouble getting to where he needed to be tonight. As he exited the portrait hole and began to walk confidently and quietly down the stone hallway, he was suddenly reminded of all the times he, Ron and Hermione had snuck out in the same way as he was now. The very thought of it made him smile broadly, but it was fleeting. Harry knew very well that those days were long gone, and sneaking around the castle was something the three of them would never do again. Ron pretty much avoided Hermione like the plague, and she in turn didn't want to be around Ron unless she had to. Harry had not quite worked out what exactly had happened between the two to cause their break up. He wouldn't dare ask them, and had no one else to ask about it.

In addition to that, Harry had become a bit anxious around Ron since the train ride to Hogwarts, as it was then the raven haired Gryffindor found out Ron's view on someone in his...situation, which he himself was still working out. A frown then formed on Harry's lips. Best friends were supposed to share secrets, were they not? This secret, Harry's biggest secret, was something he would never be able to share with the youngest boy Weasley. It was then a wave of guilt washed over him. Other than Blaise, the only one who had any knowledge of all this was Ginny Weasley, Ron's own sister. He had confided in her before anyone else, despite their past relationship. Harry knew in his heart that Ginny would understand, and she had. But he had not considered confiding in Hermione since she had been dating Ron at the time, but now that they had broken up; Harry could very well tell her. Couldn't he? He wondered just what she would say to him when he did.

It was then that Harry stopped walking. He had made it to the Third Floor Corridor. At one end, was the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. At the other; a rather normal looking tapestry. About midway between both was Classroom 3B; a completely empty classroom that was only used during O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. He glanced at his watch, noting the hour; moments before midnight. He was right on schedule. Still under the Cloak, Harry walked into the unused classroom, closing the door quietly behind him. At the front of the room, Blaise was sitting on what would normally be used as the teacher's desk. Harry smiled. The Slytherin looked up as Harry took off the Cloak, and smiled genuinely. During the middle of any day of the week, Harry would nary see Blaise smile at him. Sometimes the Slytherin would start to, and then catch himself. These smiles were saved for their after-hours meetings. The two of them did have a secret to keep, and a smile could be the first thing to have others suspecting something.

As he sat down next to Blaise, the raven haired Gryffindor sighed tiredly, which subsequently earned a curious eyebrow raise from the Blaise. Harry soon flashed him one of his big, reassuring smiles. Blaise snorted back a laugh and produced a meal tin from behind his back, handing it to Harry, whose face seemed to light up when he opened it: strawberries. Harry happily began munching on a few strawberries, nudging Blaise playfully in the ribs as a thank you. Blaise opened the other tin he had brought and began eating as well. Blaise had taken a shortcut down to the kitchens before arriving here probably moments before Harry. From the tired looks on their faces, it seemed they both needed a little 'pick me up' for the evening. It had been a long day of classes, and Quidditch practice for Harry at least. Blaise had kindly given his team the evening off. After a few moments of silence, Harry stated plainly,

"You know, one of these nights, I'll be rounding a corner on my way to meet you, and some other Prefect is going to run right into me, knock my Cloak off and I won't be able to explain what I am doing out of bed."

Blaise almost guffawed, raising his eyebrows at the other,

"Oh, I'm sure that you'll think of some excuse, Harry. You've always been able to wriggle your way out of bad situations."

He silently began to eat is food, giving Harry as sideways glance. Harry then huffed, finishing a bite of his food before responding,

"Don't give me that look. You've got nothing to worry about. I've got a reputation to keep..."

"Harry, you have got to learn to relax..."

He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders, giving him another reassuring smile. Harry sighed, leaning his head on Blaise's now extended arm and closing his eyes. Blaise continued,

"Though if you're really worried, Harry, I can always tell Draco that I am having midnight meetings with a bloke I'm interested in, and he'll give me patrols that are nowhere near anyone else's. I don't even have to tell him a name or anything, and he knows better than to ask questions."

Harry jerked away, responding,

"No. You will not do that. He would figure it out, you know he would. He's your best friend. You can only keep so many things from your best friend...Something you say would give him some sort of hint, and he would investigate it! He would just know..."

Blaise began to laugh quietly, a smile spreading across his face. Harry just frowned at him, his mouth agape. Blaise finally stopped laughing and look at Harry, giving him an apologetic look. He turned and placed both hands on his cheeks and said,

"Harry, I was joking with you. Of course I'm not going to tell him. He would probably die of shock, and his mother would skin me. But you do know that I will have to tell him eventually. Like you said, he would figure it out. Just like, one day...Ron and Hermione will, too."

"...I was actually thinking of telling Hermione...now that she and Ron are no longer together...she, of all people, deserves to know..."

"Ah, there you go. Telling her would be a-"

But Blaise didn't get to tell Harry what telling Hermione would be. His sentence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. No one else was supposed to be on this floor. He placed a finger to his lips as Harry opened his mouth to whisper something. After a quick moment of silence, they heard the footsteps again, walking closer to the very room they were in. Harry covered his mouth with both hands, in an effort to quiet his breathing a bit. His eyes went wide and he felt like his heart was pounding in his ears. They were going to be discovered. Two months and they were going to be found out. Blaise seemed to notice his moment of panic and glanced at him worriedly before tiptoeing to the door to get a better idea what he was hearing. The footsteps seemed to be edging nearer and nearer. Who could be out in the corridor at this hour? Was a Prefect returning to his or her dormitory late? What if it was a teacher? Perhaps it was a rebellious student? After a moment, of listening intensely, he thought he heard someone sigh tiredly and saunter off. Blaise slumped against the door, letting out a sigh of his own; a sigh of relief. Harry, who had gone rather rigid at the thought of being found out, whispered to Blaise quickly,

"Are they gone?"

He got a curt nod from Blaise, who walked over to him glancing down at his watch with a frown. That interruption had taken up quite a bit of their time. Minutes that they could have been talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company had been wasted on a false alarm. Blaise crossed his arms and said quietly, his brow furrowing,

"I was the only one supposed to be patrolling this floor, and my patrol was over a while ago. Perhaps it was another student out after curfew like us, but I have no idea why they were here or if they are going to come back. Harry, I think that we should just-"

Suddenly a voice came from out in the corridor,

"Oi! Blaise, are you here? Another Prefect coming down the stairs told me that they heard voices in this corridor. Did you catch someone out of bed? Or are you up to something else entirely?"

A laugh came from the corridor outside. It was definitely Draco. Now their quiet evening was completely ruined. Being a Prefect and the other's best friend, Blaise couldn't just ignore him. From out in the corridor, the blonde continued,

"Well, if you are here, I'm just going to check all the classrooms real quick! Giving you fair warning, mate!"

Much to Blaise's surprise, Harry practically jumped up and made a mad rush for his Cloak. This caused their empty food tins to clatter to the floor. Then they heard Draco running down the corridor right to them. Blaise nudged the tins under the desk with his foot, and grabbed Harry's wrist in one fell motion, pulling him tight against his chest as he called out,

"Hey! Draco! Yeah, I've got one out of bed!"

Harry looked at him in surprise and tried to pull away from him. Blaise made an exasperated noise and then hissed in Harry's ear,

"Forget the Cloak, Harry. It's no good. Right now, I need you you to argue with me, as if I just caught you out of bed. We need to make this look convincing. You're clever with this sort of thing. Make up a reason why you were out and about at this hour."

Harry stopped struggling and nodded quickly. Blaise let go of him. Harry looked around for a moment, hearing Draco's footsteps right outside the door. He had to think of something quickly. Just one thought popped into his mind, and it would make the perfect alibi; Ginny. She would even go with it if Draco asked the following morning. Of course, then he would have to explain to her what he was actually doing out of bed so late and with whom. Naturally, he'd owe her big time. As soon as he heard the knob of the door turn, Harry gave Blaise a knowing grin before saying rather loudly,

"Oh, come on, Zabini. I'm just waiting here for Ginny. My girlfriend, you know. Can't you cut a guy some slack?"

Blaise had to hold down a smile. That was quick thinking on Harry's part, and virtually foolproof. Were Draco to question the youngest Weasley, Ginny would go with whatever Harry had said. She cared for him that much. But what Harry did not know, he imagined, that Draco wouldn't dare question Ginny, not after being on the receiving end of one of her Bat Bogey Hexes. Even now that Draco was quite a different person to everyone else; he still wouldn't find angering Ginny to be the best of ideas. None of the Slytherins would find that to be wise. Blaise replied, drawling out in a bored manner,

"Well, that's not up to me, Potter. I could very well take House Points from you for this, you know. And since it is so early in the year as well as preceding the any Gryffindor Quidditch matches, I'm sure your Housemates wouldn't be too pleased with you for losing them points, now would they?"

Draco had entered the room with raised an eyebrow. He began chuckling slightly as he walked up to the two. Years ago, he would have danced at the sight of Harry Potter being caught out of bed after hours. Now, it wasn't a big deal for him. Of course, he couldn't help but being entertained by this. He glanced at Blaise, the amusement apparent on his face. Harry was watching him, of course, waiting for his reaction. Seconds later, Draco crossed his arms as he looked to Harry and said,

"Potter, I would have thought you'd be clever enough not to be caught out of bed. I don't recall you having any problems with this before. You never got caught. I've always wondered how you did it...that maybe you had some secret. Perhaps you have just been lucky until now... Well, you must be humiliated to be caught by a Slytherin, hm?"

"Oh, you have no idea, Malfoy..."

Harry's lip twitched. He would have been far more humiliated if he and Blaise had been caught together by Malfoy. After a moment, Malfoy continued, questioning Harry,

"So, tell me, why is it that you are out of bed? I heard the name Ginny. You're still dating the youngest Weasley?"

"Well, like I told Blaise, I had been waiting for Ginny. And yes, I am. Then Blaise here barged into this classroom and started questioning my presence here. He was rather loud, too. Thanks to him, she probably heard him lecturing me and ran back to the Gryffindor Dormitory."

He glared at Blaise for a moment.

"Ginny won't be very happy when I get back to the Dormitory. We needed a bit of...alone time. It's been awhile...surely you understand, Malfoy..."

For added effect, he raised his eyebrows quickly, suggesting exactly what he had planned. Draco pressed his lips into a firm line at Harry's words before a smirk shone through. He nodded, turning to Blaise and laughing slightly,

"Of all the things to catch the Harry Potter for: a date with his girlfriend. Blaise, really, is cutting in on a man's time with his girlfriend really necessary? In my mind, that's just cruel and unfair. Of course, you wouldn't know, but then again you know all the best private locations in the castle, don't you?"

Blaise rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and admitting defeat as Draco began to laugh a bit. A part of him couldn't believe that his best friend was falling for this ruse. Harry was indeed very adept at lying. He would have made a good Slytherin. Once he had silenced his laughter, Draco continued,

"Run along, Potter. Get back to your Common Room to see your girlfriend. Perhaps get some advice from Blaise here before you plan another romantic midnight getaway. He's a veteran. And next time, don't let me or any of the other Prefects catch you, because House Points will be taken away, even if you and I are on good terms now…"

Harry gave them both a nod and ran out of the room, grabbing his Cloak on his way out. He was headed straight up to Gryffindor Tower. After a moment of silence between the two Slytherins, Blaise shook his head at Draco, turning to him as he said,

"You know, you're going to make a name for yourself as a nice guy, if you keep that up. I thought you wanted to gradually rebuild your name, not super-charge it."

"Well, that's the whole point of me being back, you know, but I'm not purposefully putting myself into situations that give me the opportunity to make a better name for myself. They seem to find me. It must be fate. And Potter's not going to go around saying how I let him off easy. He's too proud for that. Besides, this isn't anything new to him. I've been civil, perhaps even friendly to him since he asked me for help with Potions."

"Whatever you say, mate."

"I'm just glad I didn't walk in on you snogging whoever you're seeing now."

"How did I know you would say that? You know, just for that, I'm going to purposely let you catch me on one of my midnight dates, just out of spite."

Draco laughed and Blaise just smiled, before bidding his friend goodnight. Draco was then alone with his thoughts. So, Blaise was seeing someone. He didn't plan to ask, as he really would rather not know. He glanced down at his watch. All the other Prefects had gone to bed, and it was time for his private lesson with Draconis. Turning on his heel, Draco left the classroom and began walking quickly down the corridor.

Hermione was just finishing her patrol shift for the evening. One of the Ravenclaw Prefects had been sick, so she had taken up one of their patrol routes, which lead to her being out a bit later than usual. Not that she minded, of course. Hermione usually stayed up a bit, either reading or studying something. The extra route she had taken had been a sweep through of the Dungeons. If students thought that the Dungeons were creepy during the day, they would lose their minds in that place at night. You could hear every little noise; the sounds of water dripping at the end of the corridor to the sound of your own footsteps echoing off the walls. It was enough to make anyone jump, even Hermione. She was glad to have gotten through the place relatively quickly, and was now on her way up the winding stairs that ended in an annex connected to the main stone courtyard in front of the Great Hall. Now, she did have to cross a stone bridge to get there, but it was all part of her patrol for the evening. It was long, but she thankfully did not have to make sure all the Prefects returned to their Dormitories. That was Draco's job this evening. As Hermione opened the large wooden doors that lead outside and began to cross the bridge, she saw a figure walking brusquely through the courtyard in front of her, heading toward the long the covered wooden bridge that lead to the school grounds. What was someone heading out into the grounds for? If she was quick enough, she could head them off, but she had to be stealthy about it. Hermione would rather not run after them twice. Truth be told, she had yet to catch a student out of bed in all of her patrols, and the very thought of it excited her. Though, she should be proud of the students obeying the rules, she wanted to catch _someone_ out of bed at least once, just to say she had. Thus, she quickly extinguished the light of her wand and began walking quickly toward the courtyard. When she reached it, Hermione had just enough time to head them off, but something stopped her. Or rather, someone did.

As soon as she was about to head the rule-breaker off, Hermione caught a brief glimpse of said person. It certainly was not a student. It was Professor von Ehrenberg. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, watching him as he walked past. What was he doing out so late at night? He certainly wasn't on Staff patrol duty for the evening. Every evening after supper, Professor McGonagall would tell Hermione and Malfoy which Professors would be patrolling the corridors in addition to the Prefects and Filch. Hermione was positive that Professor von Ehrenberg had not been one of the Staff patrol McGonagall had informed her of only a few hours ago. Still watching Professor von Ehrenberg, she quietly hid behind one of the stone pillars surrounding the courtyard as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher stopped in the middle of it, looking up at the moon for a moment. When he was fully bathed in the moonlight thus allowing Hermione to see him clearly, her eyes suddenly grew wide. Professor von Ehrenberg's eyes were glowing gold and his normally well-manicured nails looked as if they had turned into talons. She almost gasped as his glowing eyes snapped in her direction, snarling. Had he sensed her presence? Hermione gulped, standing very still. She had guessed from his appearance and mannerisms in class that the man was not entirely human, but even now she couldn't put her finger on what he was.

Professor von Ehrenberg looked back up at the moon after a moment, his form shuddering slightly as his appearance began to rapidly change The golden light of his eyes was growing brighter, and if Hermione's eyes did not deceive her, portions of his skin was beginning to look almost scaled. What was he? Though she was curious, she certainly didn't want to wait around and find out. In his current state, Professor von Ehrenberg didn't appear to be very friendly. Hermione decided that she had lingered here long enough, and began to back away slowly and quietly. She could take the long way back to the Head Common Room.

Proceeding through the annex that lead to both the dungeons and the Transfiguration courtyard, Hermione began to reflect on what she had just seen. Did the other teachers know of Professor von Ehrenberg's condition? Did Professor McGonagall even know? What was he, anyway? Continuing to ponder this, Hermione did not see the ghost that was following her until she walked right through it. Feeling as if she just took a very cold shower, she shivered, glancing around to see which of the castle's ghosts she had walked through. Instead, she was met with the sight of a ghost girl only a few years older than herself. This was not the Grey Lady, either. Hermione had never seen this ghost in her entire time at the school. But what struck her as odd was that the ghost herself did not appear entirely there. She would fade in and out, and Hermione was unable to make out her face. Hermione blinked and asked,

"Can I help you? Are you looking for a specific ghost in the castle?"

The ghost said nothing in response. Instead she floated closer to Hermione. It was then that Hermione could make out her face. It was almost like looking into a mirror and seeing herself older. She covered her mouth, to stifle the loud gasp that issued from her throat. The ghost flew off down the hall then, leaving Hermione wide eyed. She cried out, in a strained whisper,

"Wait! Who are you?"

The ghost flickered into view at the end of the long hallway, looking back at her before zooming off around the corner. Hermione chased after it. Who was this ghost? Was it some trick set up by Peeves? Did this hall have some sort of secret that she had just stumbled upon? Every couple of moments of running, Hermione would see the ghost flicker into view at the end of a corridor. She continued to chase it, not knowing where she was or where the ghost may be leading her. Rounding a corner quickly, she looked down at the floor ahead of her for but a moment, checking for a rug so that she did not trip. When she looked up, the ghost was right in front of her. Hermione attempted to stop then, not wanting another dose of that cold one gets after walking through a ghost. Her attempt did her little good, in her vain attempt to stop abruptly, Hermione ended up tripping over her own feet and flying forward through the ghost and straight for the mirror at the end of the hall. Hermione was going to crash into the mirror. She threw her arms out in front of her, expecting an impact against the glass, but none came in such a fashion. Instead, she went through the mirror, as if it were a portal, and landed on the damp stone of a dark passageway with a thud, knocking her head around a bit as she hit the floor.

For a few minutes, Hermione laid there, waiting to get up until the dizziness passed. When she did, she took in her surroundings. She was now in a damp, dark passageway, covered in cobwebs. The torches on the wall were unlit and appeared to be be far too dusty to even light with her wand. She turned around, looking for the mirror she had come through, and found herself peering into the hall she had been in before. The ghost was gone. Could she climb back through the mirror? Hermione laid her hand on it, noting that was impassable: a one way mirror. There was only one thing to do: explore. She hoped there was an exit, otherwise she would be in deep trouble. She knew for a fact that this passageway did not exist on the Marauder's Map. Where did it lead to?

All she could do now was to explore, so Hermione looked down both ways of the passage, and quickly came to a decision. She began to head down the old passageway in what she thought was the direction of the Grand Staircase. With hidden passages like this, one could never know where one was, or where one was actually headed. As Hermione continued to walk, she noted all the dusty tapestries on the walls. Shining her wand at one of them, she began to inspect it. After a moment, she murmured to herself,

"These are definitely from the medieval period. They are unkempt, but otherwise in perfect condition. This place must have not been touched for centuries. But where exactly am I?"

She pulled herself, sighing. She would just have to keep walking and find out.

Meanwhile, Draco had practically made it down to the Slytherin Dormitories when he caught a rather distraught girl out of bed in the main entry way outside of the Great Hall. She was crying, her eyes wide with fear when she saw him, which lead Draco to believe that she was not out here intentionally. Before Draco could even question her, she was begging him not to expel her. At this, he let out a laugh and held up his hands, saying,

"You won't be expelled for something like this."

She stopped blubbering, and asked,

"I w-won't?"

"Of course you won't. You will have to do much worse to be expelled, trust me. Now, tell me. What is your name, year, and house..."

"Margaret Derklan, sir. I am a First Year Ravenclaw...Y-you're the Head Boy, aren't you? The one they hissed and booed at the start of the year feast?"

"Yes...that's me..."

"Why are you out this late? Even you have a curfew."

"I was doing a final sweep of my patrol areas. So, tell me, Margaret, why you are out this late?"

The girl was again in tears. Draco stood there confused for a moment, and then assured her that he was here to help and she was not in trouble. Once she had stopped crying, he asked Margaret once more to explain why she was out so late. Her explanation made him frown. Apparently, some Second and Third Year Slytherin boys had locked her in the broom closet outside the Great Hall after dinner, and she had only just managed to get herself out with a bobby-pin she had in her hair. Draco raised an eyebrow. She was quite innovative. Margaret wouldn't learn the Unlocking Spell until she was a Second Year, if he recalled correctly. Draco was rather impressed that she was actually able to pick a lock. Curious, he asked how she had learned to do that, and she replied,

"It was a big surprise to my cousins, aunt and uncle that I got a letter inviting me to come here for school. My aunt and uncle aren't magical. At all...No one knew that my parents were magical, if they were...You see, they died in a sailing accident about four years ago, and I had never seen them doing any sort of magic. Not even when I was little...Anyway, back at home at my aunt and uncle's place, we would watch a lot of films on the telly, mostly about detectives and that sort of thing. They pick a ton of locks in those kinds of films."

Draco, having a limited knowledge of any technology that was put to use by Muggles, understood only a small amount of what she had just told him. Though what he did understand was that she was an orphan, while she had been mostly brought up by her seemingly Wizarding parents. She had lived in the Muggle world all of her life. Because of that, she was ignorant of much of their world. Draco assumed that was the reason behind her being locked in a broom closet. He had been like those boys once, and therefore understood and believed her.

After many minutes of conversation, he was able to get the names of the boys who locked her up, and reassured the girl that he would see to it that they were reported and punished accordingly. Following all this, normally Draco would have sent her on her way and then gone his own down to the Dungeons, but it was well past midnight by this time and something told him that Margaret would not do well walking back to her Dormitory on her own. Being Head Boy, he knew of the general area where the Ravenclaw Dormitory was located, so he decided that he should walk her up to the Fifth Floor Corridor. Much to his surprise, when they arrived, he was awarded with a hug around the middle. She looked up at him then and said,

"You know, I don't know why people think you're terrible. You are the first student who has actually been kind to me. You should do that more often."

She gave him a very happy "thank you" before she ran off to her Dormitory. Draco's eyes followed her as she ran off, smiling to himself. Perhaps he had gained another supporter in Margaret? If not, he was glad no one was around to see that hug. at the chime of the clock tower, Draco sighed and glanced down at his watch. He was late for his lesson. Breaking out into a run, he headed down to the Slytherin Dormitory.

Finally making it to the hidden tower, he was met with an annoyed voice upon entry. Draconis, despite his friendly, humorous nature, was very punctual, and he preferred to get things done in a timely manner. Draconis said, exasperated,

"You know, I've been waiting for you for the past hour..."

Draco crossed his arms, replying snidely,

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I was helping a Ravenclaw First Year get back up to their dormitory safely. Some of my Housemates apparently did not listen to me or Professor Slughorn when we lectured them on breaking the stigma of bullying and cruelty that surrounds our House. They locked her in a broom closet, just because of who she is."

"Alright, alright, don't get your feathers all ruffled. I was playing upon your love of sarcasm. Apparently that did not work today. I suppose that you still have not had much luck with improving your schoolmates' opinion of you then, judging from their lack of taking your words to heart..."

"Yes, well, don't remind me. It's going to take time. I know that. I will be glad for the small victories in the meantime."

"They'll come around, I'm sure. Now, our lesson for today will be in your favourite subject: Potions. I am going to assist you in brewing a lovely little undetectable poison called the Widow's Wonder. It's potency can vary, and can kill someone in less than 5 seconds, depending upon how long you let it brew. But of course, you'll need a few ingredients from your Professor's storeroom, because my stock, unfortunately, has begun to run very low...Anyway, here's the list of what you will need."

"So, essentially, I am stealing for you?"

"Oh, just this once, Draco. I'll have the House Elves grab me some in their errands next week. They seem to enjoy my presence when I coast through the kitchens to get to the dungeons."

"Yeah, okay, Draconis. I'll go fetch you some..."

He rolled his eyes, grabbing the list from Draconis and setting his robes down on a chair near the door on his way out. Draconis sighed once he knew that his descendant and friend was well on his way down the stairs. He had decided upon brewing this poison because it would mean Draco would have to leave the tower for some time, as some of the ingredients and Draconis had a very important task that he had to do. Tonight he was going to investigate the Founder's Quarters. He had thought that the way had been closed to it long ago. There was a hidden passageway that Godric Gryffindor himself had created into the stairwell of this tower when he had imprisoned him in this room. It was how the man got in to taunt and torture him with details of Elynnceria's life outside the castle. But Draconis, now released from his prison, had found it. But why had it opened? Was it his release from this room? Or was it something else entirely? Whatever it was, he could feel that something was waiting for him in the Founders Quarters, and he had to know what it was.

He set off out of his former "prison cell," and walked down the spiral staircase a little ways until he it leveled out about midway down, making a short respite from the climb. Turning to his left, he stared at the wall. There was one brick here that was mismatched, and did not fit the rest of the wall. It was not a cool grey like the others. This one was red, like the mane of a lion. He reached his fingers out, and focused his energy on moving the brick, as he was significantly less solid the farther away he got from his room at the top of the tower. He was able to press it into the wall, and a passageway opened up. He gulped, staring into the darkness. He wondered what he would find at the end of this tunnel. As he walked forward and disappeared into the dark, the passageway sealed behind him. Hopefully, he would be back to the top of the tower before Draco returned.

Hermione felt like she had walked at least a mile down the old passageway when it finally ended, leading her straight into a large room that very much reminded her of the Common Room they had in the Head Dormitory. Although, this room was not much larger than, nor as homely, as the one she did all of her homework in. The room in which she now stood was made completely of stone and any furniture was long since broken and decayed. The only remaining piece of furniture in the room had a massive iron wrought fire pit in the middle of it that was covered in dust and cobwebs. Although it looked to have been a very long time since the pit had been used, Hermione could still smell the ash smoldering like the fire had only just been snuffed out. On the walls were mere shreds of tapestries that had no doubt once depicted scenes of glorious acts of wizardry like all the other tapestries in the castle. Hermione concluded that this room must have been a glorious sight to behold when it was in its prime. Looking up, she gazed into the large opening in the arched high stone ceiling; perfect for smoke to escape when a fire was set in the pit. Hermione was amazed that the room didn't have any smoke damage, but then she realized that it must have been heavily enchanted to prevent such things. There must have been a spell on the place to help guide smoke through the opening in the ceiling, and then that opening must have also been heavily enchanted to allow only smoke to escape and nothing else to fall through. Those enchantments must still be working for only dust to have settled here.

Staring up at the night sky for a moment, Hermione wondered where she was in the castle, or if she was still in the castle at all. Was beneath the school grounds themselves? Near the mountains? Would anyone be able to find her if she was trapped down here. There were storm clouds rolling in above her, so she could not tell where she was by the stars. After a moment, more important questions wandered into her mind. What was this place? Why was it here? Who had lived here? She had never heard of a place like this in Hogwarts, A History, and she had read that book cover to cover multiple times. It was then she began to walk around the place again, inspecting every detail. The tapestries and stone carvings on the wall let her know that the room must have been used primarily in the Medieval era. It must be as old as the school itself. She attempted to read some old, stray parchment that was strewn across the large table near the back corner of the room, but it was far too old to make anything out. As she heard thunder above her and lightning flashed through the clouds, the sudden light illuminated a large dusty curtain like tapestry at the end of the room that covered the entire expanse of the wall. Because it was so caked in dust, Hermione had previously thought it to be just another stone wall. For a tapestry to be that large, it must be covering something. Perhaps a door? She walked quickly to it, running her hands along it in an attempt to find _something_. As she lifted her fist to knock against the hard surface she felt behind it, a soft voice came from behind her,

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, miss."

Hermione whirled around, eyes wide. Her hand flew toward her mouth when she found herself face to face with the ghost she had seen in the hall before she had passed through the mirror. Hermione stood her ground, asking,

"And why not?"

"You could get hurt. This place is old and you do not know what could be beyond this room..."

"You...you led me to here...and suddenly you are concerned for my safety. What do you want with me? Who are you?"

"I led you here to speak with you...I do not wish any harm upon you."

The ghost smiled kindly. Hermione's stance grew less stiff, noting the kindness in her voice and on her face. She questioned,

"But who are you?"

"You have not heard of me? I must be in some of your history books...I know I was not nearly as famous as my brothers and father, but surely I was not deleted from history."

"Who...who is your father?"

"Godric Gryffindor is my father."

Hermione stared at her, obviously shocked. She knew that Gryffindor only had one daughter: Elynnceria. But, as she had researched, Elynnceria had lived well into old age. So why was she here? And why was her ghost so young? Hermione blinked and said,

"You're Elynnceria."

"Yes, that is my name..."

"I'm...I'm Hermione Granger. And...you are in our history books. They say that you lived well into old age, and died shortly after your husband."

"That is a lie. I died of a broken heart when I was in my twenties."

"What?"

"I...lost someone very dear to me right after I got out of Hogwarts. I never recovered from that. Even a few years later, after I was married and had a child...I still could forget him. The knowledge of what happened to him…"

"You're talking about Draconis, aren't you?"

"Y-you know our story? You know what my father did to him?"

"Yes...I do. He locked him in a tower, and left him there to rot. Your tale was actually chronicled into a children's story...but their ending was that Draconis escaped from the tower and found you. I know that didn't happen. He died in there alone, didn't he? And the tower has...long since crumbled..."

"Yes, he did...but the tower is still there."

"What do you mean? There exists no such tower on any schematic of Hogwarts."

"That is because it's enchanted. Unplottable, undetectable...and not a soul knows where it is. Only Draconis, myself, and of course, my father ever knew of it. But it is still there. And I want you to find it."

"You want me to find it? Why?"

"If I am still here, as a ghost...then maybe Draconis is too. I want you to find him for me."

"Why me? Why can't you find him?"

"I know not the reason why, but you look a lot like me. Judging by all the questions you have asked of me, you also behave quite a lot like me. When you find him, Draconis will listen to you. I need you to tell him I am here, that I have not gone on. I cannot go myself...because...I cannot stray beyond the boundaries of this area for more than a few moments at a time. My leading you here was a serious breach of that. You see, I'm not the only Gryffindor ghost in Hogwarts Castle...and he doesn't want me leaving at all..."

"..._what?_"

Before Hermione or Elynnceria could speak anymore on this, they heard echoing footsteps coming from the other side of the wall behind them. Elynnceria's eyes went wide, and she said quickly,

"You need to leave. Right now."

"Wait, how do I find him? How do I even get out of here? That mirror was only one way!"

"Just keep walking in the way from whence you came and the exit will find you. As for Draconis, ask that blonde friend of yours. I think he might know something. Now run! Get out of here!"

"What?!"

The wind picked up around them and Hermione was pushed away from Elynnceria. The wind shoved her toward the exit of the stone room. She had just enough time to glance behind her, and her eyes grew wide shock with whom she saw; Godric Gryffindor himself. Only, he did not seem like the happy man she had seen depicted in paintings. He looked angry, truly angry. It was then his eyes locked with Hermione's she. She ran, ran like she never had before. As she flew down the stone passageway, heading back toward the mirror she had fallen through, the book she had borrowed from the private library located in Professor McGonagall's office. Many of those stories depicted Godric Gryffindor as a brutal, selfish man; horrible man. Then the story of his daughter, Elynnceria, popped into her mind, as well as the task she had given her. Why was her ghost here? Why was she not allowed to roam the castle as the other ghosts did?

She could hear the rush of wind and hollow footsteps behind her. He was following her. If those stories were indeed true Hermione could not stop running. As she flew down the passageway with the mirror she had come from, she found herself at a dead end. Damn. What was she going to do now? The footsteps were growing closer and closer. She held her wand tightly, readying to fight. As the ghostly form of Godric Gryffindor came into view, Hermione pressed her back against the cool stones of the wall behind her. As she held her wand up, she suddenly fell backwards, into the wall. Closing her eyes, Hermione yelped, for a moment falling through space. She felt her head hit stone, and she blacked out.

When she opened her eyes, her head was throbbing with the onset of a headache. She blinked, rubbing her temples as she glanced around. Hermione was in a dimly lit room with a large cauldron bubbling in the middle. Where was she? How did she get here? Then a voice came from behind her, saying,

"You know it's mighty dangerous for even the Head Girl to be out of bed at this hour."

She turned her heard quickly and her head throbbed even more. Squinting from the pain, her vision was blurred. But nonetheless she found herself looking at someone very familiar: tall, with white blonde hair, and a haughty stance. Had Draco rescued her again? That would make four times now, wouldn't it? As he stepped closer to her, the dim light of the candles danced across his face. She blinked.

It was definitely not Draco.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: So, what did you lot think? A good update? :) I've already started writing Chapter 13. <strong>Please, please, please read and review! I love you all, and I love hearing what you think. Thank you so much, and I look forward to hearing your opinions. Have a good week!<strong>  
><strong>


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